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THE  ARTISTIC  CRAFTS  SERIES 
OF  TECHNICAL  HANDBOOKS 
EDITED  BY  W.  R.  LETHABY 


SILVERWORK  AND  JEWELRY 


THE  ARTISTIC  CRAFTS  SERIES  OF 
TECHNICAL  HANDBOOKS. 

Edited  by  W.  R.  Lethaby. 

'T'HE  series  will  appeal  to  handicraftsmen  in  the  industrial 
and  mechanic  arts.  It  will  consist  of  authoritative  state- 
ments by  experts  in  every  field  for  the  exercise  of  ingenuity, 
taste,  imagination — the  whole  sphere  of  the  so-called  “de- 
pendent arts.” 


BOOKBINDING  AND  THE  CARE  OF 

BOOKS.  A Handbook  for  Amateurs,  Bookbinders, 
and  Librarians.  By  Douglas  Cockerell.  With 
120  Illustrations  and  Diagrams  by  Noel  Rooke,  and 
8 collotype  reproductions  of  bindings.  i2mo. 
$1.25  net  ’ postage,  12  cents  additional. 

SILVERWORK  AND  JEWELRY.  A Text- 

Book  for  Students  and  Workers  in  Metal.  By  H. 
Wilson.  With  160  Diagrams  and  16  full-page 
Illustrations.  i2mo.  $1.40  net  $ postage,  12  cents 
additional. 

In  Preparation  : 

CABINET-MAKING  AND  DESIGNING.  By  C. 
Spooner. 


D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


The  Foundress’  Cup  : Christ’s  College,  Cambridge. 


SILVERWORK  AND 
JEWELRY 

A TEXT-BOOK  FOR  STUDENTS 
AND  WORKERS  IN  METAL 
BY  H.  WILSON.  WITH  DIAGRAMS 
BY  THE  AUTHOR 
AND  OTHER  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 
1903 


Copyright,  1903 
By  D.  Appleton  and  Company 


All  rights  reserved 


Published  February , 1903 


THE  GETTY  CENTER 
LIBRARY 


“ An  Art  can  only  be  learned  in  the  workshop  of 
those  who  are  winning  their  bread  by  it .” 

— Samuel  Butler  (“  Erewhon  ”). 

“ One  may  do  whate'  er  one  likes 
In  Art : the  only  thing  is  to  make  sure 
That  one  does  like  it — which  takes  pains  to  know.” 
— Robert  Browning  (“Pippa  Passes” ). 

f<  It  is  evident  that  the  value  of  methods  and 
apparatus  so  simple  as  these  is  dependent  on  the  skill 
and  talent  of  the  worker  who  uses  them . The  hand 

of  man9  more  perfect  than  any  mechanism,  is  every- 
where seen  in  early  goldsmith' s work.  When , how- 

ever, mechanical  methods  develop,  their  exactitude , 
their  even  precision,  their  unintelligence,  replace  little 
by  little  that  fascination  which  belongs  to  everything 
shaped  by  the  human  hand.  One  need  not,  therefore, 
be  surprised  that  there  is  so  much  difficulty  in  the 
goldsmith' s art,  no  less  than  in  other  branches  of  in- 
dustry, in  procuring,  things  to-day  which  have  the 
charm  of  ancient  work.  Mechanism  has  destroyed 
the  habit  of  intelligent  personal  effort  on  the  part 
of  the  worker,  and  his  energies  are  now  directed 
to  the  imitation  of  the  cold  and  arid  regularity  of 
the  machine.''  — “On  Medieval  Gold  and  Silver 
Work  ” (**  Viollet  le  Due,”  vol,  ii.,  p.  172.) 


EDITOR’S  PREFACE 


In  issuing  this  volume  of  a series  of 
Handbooks  on  the  Artistic  Crafts,  it 
will  be  well  to  state  what  are  our  general 
aims. 

In  the  first  place,  we  wish  to  provide 
trustworthy  text-books  of  workshop  prac- 
tise, from  the  points  of  view  of  experts 
who  have  critically  examined  the  methods 
current  in  the  shops,  and  putting  aside 
vain  survivals,  are  prepared  to  say  what 
is  good  workmanship,  and  to  set  up  a 
standard  of  quality  in  the  crafts  which 
are  more  especially  associated  with  de- 
sign. Secondly,  in  doing  this,  we  hope 
to  treat  design  itself  as  an  essential  part 
of  good  workmanship.  During  the  last 
century  most  of  the  arts,  save  painting 
and  sculpture  of  an  academic  kind,  were 
little  considered,  and  there  was  a tendency 
to  look  on  “ design  ” as  a mere  matter 

9 


Editor’ s 
Preface 


Editor’s  of  appearance.  Such  cc  ornamentation  ” as 
Preface  there  was  was  usually  obtained  by  follow- 
ing in  a mechanical  way  a drawing  pro- 
vided by  an  artist  who  often  knew  little 
of  the  technical  processes  involved  in 
production.  With  the  critical  attention 
given  to  the  crafts  by  Ruskin  and  Morris, 
it  came  to  be  seen  that  it  was  impossible 
to  detach  design  from  craft  in  this  way, 
and  that,  in  the  widest  sense,  true  design 
is  an  inseparable  element  of  good  qual- 
ity, involving  as  it  does  the  selection  of 
good  and  suitable  material,  contrivance 
for  special  purpose,  expert  workmanship, 
proper  finish,  and  so  on,  far  more  than 
mere  ornament,  and  indeed,  that  orna- 
mentation itself  was  rather  an  exuberance 
of  fine  workmanship  than  a matter  of 
merely  abstract  lines.  Workmanship  when 
separated  by  too  wide  a gulf  from  fresh 
thought — that  is,  from  design — inevitably 
decays,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  ornamen- 
tation, divorced  from  workmanship,  is 
necessarily  unreal,  and  quickly  falls  into 
affectation.  Proper  ornamentation  may 
be  defined  as  a language  addressed  to  the 
eye ; it  is  pleasant  thought  expressed  in 
the  speech  of  the  tool. 

In  the  third  place,  we  would  have  this 
io 


series  put  artistic  craftsmanship  before 
people  as  furnishing  reasonable  occupa- 
tions for  those  who  would  gain  a liveli- 
hood. Although  within  the  bounds  of 
academic  art,  the  competition,  of  its  kind, 
is  so  acute  that  only  a very  few  per  cent, 
can  fairly  hope  to  succeed  as  painters  and 
sculptors ; yet,  as  artistic  craftsmen,  there 
is  every  probability  that  nearly  every 
one  who  would  pass  through  a sufficient 
period  of  apprenticeship  to  workman- 
and  design  would  reach  a measure 
of  success. 

In  the  blending  of  handwork  and 
thought  in  such  arts  as  we  propose  to 
deal  with,  happy  careers  may  be  found 
as  far  removed  from  the  dreary  routine 
of  hack  labor  as  from  the  terrible  un- 
certainty of  academic  art.  It  is  desirable 
in  every  way  that  men  of  good  education 
should  be  brought  back  into  the  produc- 
tive crafts  : there  are  more  than  enough 
of  us  “in  the  city/’  and  it  is  probable 
that  more  consideration  will  be  given  in 
this  century  than  in  the  last  to  Design 
and  Workmanship. 

Work  in  the  precious  metals,  the  sub- 
ject which  is  dealt  with  in  the  present 

1 1 


Editor’s 

Preface 


Editor’s  volume,  seems  especially  to  have  suffered 
Preface  from  the  slavish  methods  introduced,  per- 
haps, to  compete  with  machinery,  and 
from  the  general  benumbing  of  the  apti- 
tude for  design  which  affected  so  many 
of  the  artistic  crafts  during  the  course 
of  the  last  century.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  have  been  signs  of  a danger  that 
these  crafts  may  be  victimized  by  glaring 
affectations  in  design  and  by  unashamed 
crudeness  of  manipulation.  Of  the  two 
vulgarities — that  of  commercial  dulness, 
and  that  of  the  blandishments  which 
assume  the  name  of  “ new  art  the 
latter  is  likely  to  be  by  far  the  worse.  On 
this  question  of  design  it  is  essential  to 
guard  oneself  from  a merely  capricious 
originality,  a striving  for  exaggerated  ele- 
gance, and  an  endeavor  to  suggest  ideas 
of  luxury,  which  last  is  probably  the  most 
enervating  and  repulsive  characteristic  of 
certain  forms  of  modern  taste. 

Symptoms  of  these  faults  are  often 
found  in  a preference  for  violent  curva- 
ture of  form,  an  introduction  of  unrelated 
splashes  of  enamel,  and  the  over-insistence 
upon  tool  marks  and  chemically  treated  sur- 
faces. On  the  contrary,  we  should  rather 
aim  at  reasonableness,  at  the  natural  de- 

12 


velopment  of  traditional  forms,  and  at 
pleasant,  unobtrusive  finish.  The  true 
method  of  design  is  always  growth,  not 
rootless  egoism. 

Of  old  the  arts  developed  under  the 
hand  by  the  contact  of  tools  and  material. 
Now,  for  instance,  it  is  far  too  customary 
to  “ design/’  as  it  is  called,  the  shape  of 
some  vessel,  be  it  for  silver,  or  glass,  or 
potter’s  clay,  and  then  to  coerce  the  ma- 
terial into  the  preconceived  form.  But 
" any  one  who  has  watched  the  process  of 
throwing  a pot  on  the  wheel,  of  blowing 
glass,  or  of  beating  up  metal  out  of  the 
sheet,  will  have  noticed  how  dozens  of 
vitally  beautiful  forms  are  produced  on 
the  way  to  the  final  dulness  predestined 
by  the  drawing.  The  best  compliment 
to  workshop  practise  is  to  study  the  old 
work  stored  in  our  museums,  without 
intention  to  copy  specific  types,  but  to 
gather  ideas  generally  applicable.  From 
this  point  of  view  all  ancient  art  is  a 
vast  encyclopedia  of  methods  and  ex- 
perience. 

The  London  student  should  frequent 
the  Gold  Room  and  Medieval  Depart- 
ment of  the  British  Museum,  the  general 
collection  at  South  Kensington,  and  the 

*3 


Editor’s 

Preface 


Editor’s  marvels  of  the  Indian  Museum.  He 
Preface  should  also  study  the  devices  on  ancient 
coins,  medals,  and  seals.  It  will  be  found 
that  such  systematic  study  will  not  only 
result  in  the  accumulation  of  hints  for 
trade  purposes,  but  will  be  a true  form  of 
self-culture;  for  all  history  stands  as  a 
background  to  these  objects  bequeathed 
to  us  by  past  civilizations  ; and  the  perfect 
knowledge  of  one  thing  includes  the  par- 
tial knowledge  of  many  things. 

It  is  not  for  me  to  praise  these  books/ 
but  I may  be  allowed  to  say  that  in  both 
those  now  issued  we  have  been  given  the 
best  knowledge  of  expert  craftsmen,  who, 
having  explored  the  past  of  the  arts  with 
which  they  deal,  have  been  willing  to 
give  out  the  combined  results  of  their  ex- 
periments and  study  clearly  and  without 
reserve. 

W.  R.  LETHABY. 


14 


AUTHOR’S  PREFACE 


This  book  does  not  deal  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  jeweler’s  art.  It  is  intended 
as  a practical  guide  to  some  of  the  more 
simple  processes  of  the  craft.  The  worst 
fault  of  such  a text-book,  intended  in  the 
first  place  for  students,  would  be  vague- 
ness. I have  attempted  to  avoid  this  by 
describing  the  operations  of  each  process 
consecutively  from  beginning  to  end. 

This  of  necessity  causes  a certain 
amount  of  repetition,  but  anything  is 
better  than  doubt.  For  the  sake  of 
clearness  the  various  chapters  have  been 
written  round  the  diagrams  inserted  in 
the  text.  These  in  most  cases  have  been 
drawn  from  work  actually  carried  out. 
It  is  not,  however,  my  intention  to  im- 
pose conceptions  of  design  upon  the 
student,  but  only  to  describe  methods 
I have  found  to  give  the  best  results  in 

u 


Author’s 

Preface 


' Author’s  my  own  workshop.  These  methods,  with 
Preface  such  changes  as  the  common  sense  of  the 
worker  will  suggest,  may  be  applied  to 
objects  of  whatever  form  carried  out  in 
the  same  materials. 

No  student  worthy  of  the  name  would 
attempt  to  copy  the  designs  for  himself. 
Not  only  is  deliberate  copyism  dishonest, 
it  checks  the  development  of  the  student’s 
native  powers  and  stunts  his  individuality. 
And  while  nothing  is  more  pitiable  than 
a too  conscious  cultivation  of  our  poor 
little  personality,  whatever  is  felt  to  lessen 
our  power  of  work  in  any  direction  must 
be  studiously  avoided  and  whatever  helps 
us  eagerly  sought.  If  the  student  will 
study  methods,  materials,  and  natural 
forms,  perfect  his  skill  in  handiwork,  feed 
his  imagination  on  old  work,  attend  faith- 
fully to  his  instincts,  his  personality  can 
safely  be  left  to  take  care  of  itself.  It  will 
infallibly  find  expression. 

One  most  valuable  stimulus  to  the 
imagination  is  to  be  found  in  the  de- 
scriptions of  marvelous  metal  work  by  old 
writers,  poets,  historians,  and  travelers. 
The  old  inventories  of  church  plate, 
though  they  do  little  more  than  catalogue 
the  objects,  yet  will  often  give  most  sug- 
16 


gestive  hints  for  design.  What  could  be 
finer  than  this  from  the  inventory  of  the 
jewels  and  relics  belonging  to  the  cathe- 
dral church  of  Sarum,  made  by  Master 
Thomas  Robertson,  treasurer  of  the  same 
church,  in  the  year  1536: — 

“ Item,  a cross  with  Abraham  offering 
up  Isaac,  and  a lamb  behind  him  with  an 
angel  (wanting  one  wing)  and  on  the 
left  side  the  images  of  Abel  and  Cain, 
weighing  63  ounces  and  a quarter.” 

One  sees  the  thing  through  the  old 
scribe's  eyes,  and  straightway  the  mind 
begins  to  work  on  a scheme  of  its  own. 

Another  valuable  aid  is  that  given  by 
old  descriptions  of  methods  and  processes. 
The  treatise  of  Theophilus,  published  by 
Murray,  contains  many  hints.  The  trans- 
lator, however,  not  being  a craftsman, 
missed  many  points  in  his  rendering,  and 
the  technical  descriptions  are  not  as  clear 
as  could  be  wished.  I have  endeavored 
to  rectify  this  defect  in  the  new  renderings 
given  at  the  end  of  this  book ; but  Hen- 
drie’s  Theophilus  will  always  be  full  of 
interest  to  those  curious  in  the  arts  of  the 
Middle  Ages, 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  in  a limited 
space  to  treat  of  a limitless  art;  moreover, 

2 17 


Author’s 

Preface 


Author’s  many  processes,  such  as  wet  and  dry 
Preface  coloring  of  gold,  die-stamping,  gold- 
lapping, frosting,  and  electroplating  and 
typing  have  too  little  connection  with  art 
to  be  considered  at  all.  I hope,  however, 
that  the  processes  described  in  this  book 
may  help  the  student  to  acquire  a tech- 
nique for  himself.  If  it  does  anything, 
however  slight,  in  that  direction  its  object 
will  have  been  achieved. 

H.  W. 


18 


CONTENTS 


Editor’s  Preface  ..... 

Author’s  Preface  ..... 

PAGE 

9 Contents 
15 

CHAPTER  I 

Introduction  ...... 

25 

CHAPTER  II 

Materials — Educational  Value  of  Process — Com- 
position of  Pickle — Pitch  for  Repousse  Work 

29 

CHAPTER  III 

Tools  ....... 

33 

CHAPTER  IV 

Work  Benches — Best  Form  of  Bench — The  Pin 
— The  Skin — Tool  Rack — Board  Sweep  . 

36 

CHAPTER  V 

Wire-Drawing  — The  Draw-Bench  — Draw- 
Plate — Tube-Drawing — How  to  Make  a 
Draw-Plate  ..... 

39 

CHAPTER  VI 

Repousse  Work — Chasing — Method  of  Proce- 
dure— How  to  hold  the  Tools — The  Beha- 
vior of  Metal — Work  in  the  Round — The 
Chasing  of  Castings  .... 

44 

CHAPTER  VII 

Hammer  Work — How  to  Make  a Cup — Bossing 
up — The  Stakes — Planishing — How  to 

19 


PAGE 


Contents 


Make  a Beaker  — Snarling-Irons — Orna- 
mentation— Base  for  a Cup — Soldering  the 
Base  in  Position  — Polishing  — Another 
Method  for  Beakers — The  Use  of  the 
Sand-bag — Interlocking  Joints  for  Hammer 
Work — Drinking  Cup  with  a Stem  . 51 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Candlesticks — The  Socket — The  Shaft — The 
Scorer — The  Knop — The  Base — Fitting 
Together — Polishing — A Simpler  Form  of 
Candlestick  . . . . .68 

CHAPTER  IX 

Spoons — The  Shape  of  the  Bowl — The  Stem — 

The  Handle  or  Thumbpiece — Joining  the 
Bowl  and  Handle — Second  Method  of  Ma- 
king a Spoon — Third  Method — Boxwood 
Punches — The  Lead  Matrix — Ingots  for 
Handles  ......  79 

CHAPTER  X 

Silver  Solder — Use  of  Scrap  Silver — The  Cru- 
cible— The  Ingot  Mold — Enameling  Solder 
— Solders  for  Large  Work — Howto  Make 
Ingot  Molds  . . . . .87 

CHAPTER  XI 

Soldering — Use  of  Borax — The  Blowpipe — Sol- 
dering Lamps  . . . . .92 

CHAPTER  XII 

Settings — The  Kinds  of  Stones  to  Use — Close 
Settings — Setting  the  Stone — Open  Set- 
tings— Paved  Settings  . 

20 


97 


CHAPTER  XIII 


PAGE 


Contents 


Rings — Hoop  Rings — Making  Compound  Wire 
* — The  Knot  Ring  — Polishing  — The 
Wreath — The  Filigree  Table  Ring — An- 
other Form — The  Carved  Ring — The 
Design  of  Rings  . . . . .104 

CHAPTER  XIV 

Necklace — How  Designed — The  Arrangement 
of  Stones — Chain-making — Filigree  Mounts 
for  Pearls — Backing  the  Pearls — Woven 
Links — The  Snap  — Polishing  — Another 
Form  of  Necklace — What  to  Study — How 
to  Use  your  Studies — Pendants — Sugges- 
tions for  Design — Loop  for  the  Pendant — 
Cleaning  and  Polishing  . . .112 

CHAPTER  XV 

Brooches — Suggestions  for  Design — Mounting 
- — The  Making  of  Compound  Twists — 

The  Joint  and  Catch  . . . .130 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Pendants — Things  to  be  Avoided — Suggestions 
for  Design — The  Use  of  Enamel — Setting 
the  Enamel — The  Hoop  for  the  Pendant 
— Polishing  . . . . * 1 3 7 

CHAPTER  XVII 

Hair  Ornaments  and  Combs — Silver  Hairpin— 

The  Skeleton  Sphere — Hardening  the  Pin 
— A Comb  in  Silver — How  to  Make  the 
Prongs — The  Joint — The  Head  of  the 
Comb — Arranging  the  Stones — The  Groups 


21 


Contents 


of  Leaves — The  Pin  for  the  Hinge — Set- 
ting the  Pearls — How  to  Drill  Pearls 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

Bracelets  — The  Hammered  Bracelet  — The 
Hinge  Bracelet — The  Band — The  Snap — 
The  Hinge — Fitting  the  Joints — The  Flex- 
ible Bracelet — Cleaning  and  Burnishing 

CHAPTER  XIX 

Gold  Work — The  Care  of  the  Material — Board 
Sweep — Method  of  Treatment — Alloys — 
Hair  Ornaments — The  Ingot — Drawing 
the  Wire  — Making  Grains  — Leaves  — 
Flowers — Gold  Solder — Nine-Carat  Gold 
for  the  Pin — Study  of  Old  Work  . 

CHAPTER  XX 

Gold  Necklace  with  Pendant  Fleurs  de  Lis — 
The  Brass  Mold — Burnishing  the  Gold 
over  the  Matrix — Another  Method  of  Ma- 
king Fleurs  de  Lis — Engraved  Matrices 

CHAPTER  XXI 

Locket  or  Pendant  Casket — The  Frame — The 
Bezel — The  Hinge — The  Back — Fitting 
the  Hinge — The  Joint  Tool — Swivel 
Loops  ...... 

CHAPTER  XXII 

Carving  in  Metal— Where  Carving  is  Necessary 
— Making  the  Tools — Tempering — The 
Wax  Model — The  Use  of  the  Chisels — 
Finishing  — The  Spiral  Knop  — The 
Wreathed  Setting  .... 

22 


PAGE 

H5 


.56 


168 


177 


183 


187 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


PAGE 


Contents 


Casting — The  Cuttlefish  Mold — Flasks — The 
Loam — Smoking  the  Mold — Slate  or  Bath- 
brick  Molds  . . . . .193 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

Enamel  Work — General  Considerations — Requi- 
sites— Cloisonne  Work — Filling  the  Cells 
— Mounting  the  Enamel  — Champleve 
Enamel — The  Tools — Use  of  Gold  Solder 
— Limoges  Enamel — Network  Enamel — 

Setting  the  Enamel — Deep-cut  Enamel  . 200 

CHAPTER  XXV 

Hinge  for  Casket — Drawing  the  Tube — The 
Mandrel — The  Liner — The  Joint  Tool- — 
Soldering  the  Joints — The  Pin  . . 223 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

Moldings — The  Swage  - Block  — Filing  the 

Grooves — Drawing  the  Metal  . . 228 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

Polishing — Materials  Required — Polishing  Silver 
Work — A Simpler  Method — Burnishing — 
Polishing  Gold  Work — Care  of  Polishing 
Waste — Cleanliness  of  Tools  . . . 231 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Coloring,  Darkening,  or  Oxidizing  Silver  and 
Gold  Work — Materials  Required — Dark- 
ening Gold — Coloring  Copper  . . 235 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

Various  Methods  of  Gilding — Mercury  Gilding  237 

23 


Contents 


CHAPTER  XXX 


PAGE 


A Method  of  Shaping  and  Cutting  the  Softer 
Precious  Stones — The  Stones  most  easily 
Cut — The  Cements  Required — Drilling 
Stone — The  Engraver’s  Lathe — Polishing  . 240 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

Piece  - Molding — The  Model — The  Casting  - 
Flasks — The  Sand — Filling  the  Flasks — 
Making  the  Mold — The  Charcoal — The 
False  Cores — The  Back  Mold — The  Core 
of  the  Model — Arranging  the  Gates — Dry- 
ing the  Mold  .....  244 

CHAPTER  XXXII 

Casting  by  Waste -Wax  Process — The  Wax 
Model — The  Sand — Casting  the  Mold — 
Bedding  the  Mold  in  the  Flasks — Casting 
without  Flasks — Hollow  Castings — A 

Third  Method  of  Casting  . . *256 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

f On  Inlaying  ......  262 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 

On  Old  Work  and  Old  Methods  . . .264 

Notes  on  the  Collotype  Plates  . . 283 

Collotype  Reproductions.  . . .289 

Medieval  Cups  and  Chalices  ( Illustrations ) 321 

Practical  Recipes,  etc.  . . . .327 

Glossary  . . . . . . 33 1 

Index  . . . . . . -339 

24 


CHAPTER  I 

INTRO  DUCTION 


The  exquisite  jewelry  of  Egypt,  Etruria, 
and  Greece,  work  so  fine  as  almost  to 
appear  miraculous,  was  the  outcome  of 
centuries  of  development.  What  remains 
to  us  is  the  sum  of  a series  of  small  im- 
provements in  work  and  method,  added 
by  one  generation  of  craftsmen  after 
another.  Each  worker  brought  his  frac- 
tion of  beauty  to  the  store  laid  up  and 
bequeathed  to  him  by  those  who  had 
gone  before.  The  men  who  made  these 
things  which  fill  us  all  with  wonder  had, 
however,  not  only  inherited  skill  to  guide 
their  hands  and  eyes.  Each  went  through 
a long  apprenticeship,  during  which  he 
was  made  free  of  the  results  of  an  un- 
broken tradition  of  craftsmanship. 

His  work  lay  almost  in  the  open  air ; 
there  was  beauty  in  all  his  surroundings, 

25 


Intro- 

duction 


Intro-  and  inspiration  waited  on  him  continually, 
duction  As  always  the  happiness  of  the  worker 
was  reflected  in  the  work.  Each  seems  to 
have  been  content  if  he  could  surpass  by 
ever  so  little  the  skill  of  his  forbears. 

Yet  the  farther  the  discoveries  of 
archeology  take  us  back  into  the  past, 
the  more  clearly  we  see  by  what  slow, 
tentative,  almost  stumbling  steps  that 
perfection  of  skill  has  been  attained. 
Between  the  prehistoric  fibula  hammered 
out  from  a nugget  of  ore  and  the  granu- 
lated cloak-clasp  of  Etruria  and  Greece 
the  distance  is  enormous,  yet  we  are  able 
to  follow  the  line  of  development  and 
almost  to  mark  its  stages.  Apart  from 
the  fact  that  this  gradual  perfecting  of 
craftsmanship  has  been  the  way  to  excel- 
lence in  the  past,  it  is  the  only  way  by 
which  the  student  can  attain  to  confidence 
and  knowledge.  Lacking  these  no  one 
can  give  adequate  expression  to  his  ideas. 
Not  only  does  the  study  of  methods  and 
the  qualities  of  material  enable  him  to 
give  expression  to  an  idea,  it  is  absolutely 
the  most  fruitful  source  of  ideas,  and 
those  which  are  suggested  by  process  are 
invariably  healthy  and  rational.  The 
hand  and  the  brain  work  together,  and 

2 6 


the  outcome  of  their  partnership  is  a sanity 
of  conception,  which  is  greatly  to  seek  in 
most  even  of  the  best  work  of  to-day. 
The  reason  is  perhaps  that  the  zeal  of 
the  artist  has  not  been  tempered  by  knowl- 
edge. The  reason  of  this  again  is  that 
for  more  than  a century  the  painter  and 
the  sculptor  have  stood  before  the  public 
as  the  sole  representatives  of  the  Arts,  and 
in  consequence  all  the  crafts  and  arts  have 
been  approached  pictorially,  even  by  those 
who  practise  th^m,  as  if  each  were  only 
another  form  of  picture-making. 

This  is  not  wholly  untrue,  only  the 
methods  of  the  painter  do  not  always 
apply  in  the  crafts.  Take  as  the  simplest 
example  a Rhodian  earring.  What  is  it? 
— a rough  pearl,  a skeleton  cube  of  gold 
wire,  a tiny  pyramid  of  beads,  and  a 
hook.  What  could  be  more  simple  ? yet 
the  cunning  collocation  of  these  ele- 
mentary forms  has  produced  a thing  of 
beauty  that  can  not  now  be  surpassed. 
No  amount  of  fumbling  with  a pencil 
could  ever  lead  to  a like  result.  The 
material  was  there  in  front  of  the  crafts- 
man, and  on  the  material  the  creative 
idea  engendered  the  work  of  art.  Art 
is  craftsmanship  plus  inspiration ; and 

27 


Intro- 

duction 


Intro-  inspiration  is  the  rush  of  unconscious 
duction  memory  along  channels  made  by  a habit 
of  craftsmanship.  The  craftsmanship  of 
the  early  workman  was  frank  and  fearless, 
the  worker  of  to-day  hides  behind  the 
stones  he  uses.  His  material  is  a screen 
and  not  a medium  of  expression.  Stones 
and  jewels  to  the  early  artist  were  means 
of  adding  emphasis  to  his  work,  or  were 
used  as  the  germ  of  a design ; by  the 
modern  they  are  used  as  substitutes  for 
design.  To  the  former  the  jewel  was  an 
added  beauty  to  the  setting ; to  the  latter 
the  jewel  is  a means  of  hiding  the  setting 
and  the  workmanship.  The  old  workman 
took  the  rough  crystal  of  sapphire,  or 
ruby,  or  emerald,  and  polished  it,  keeping 
the  stone  as  large  as  possible,  displaying 
to  the  utmost  its  native  beauty.  The 
modern  workman  splits  and  cuts  his  gems 
into  regular,  many-faceted,  geometrical 
forms  of  infinite  ingenuity  and  intolerable 
hideousness. 

The  modern  method  of  cutting  equal- 
izes the  color  and  intensifies  the  glitter 
of  the  gem,  but  the  glitter  takes  away 
that  mysterious  magical  quality,  that  inner 
luster  of  liquid  light,  which  for  the  artist 
is  its  chiefest  beauty,  and  replaces  that 

28 


beauty  by  a mechanical  sheen  offensive 
to  every  cultivated  eye.  Moreover,  the 
machine-made  perfection  of  the  cut  stone 
has,  as  it  were,  reacted  on  the  mounting, 
and  is,  perhaps,  one  cause  of  the  mechan- 
ical hardness  and  lack  of  artistry  so  visible 
in  modern  work.  The  student  who  is 
seeking  to  avoid  these  defects  must  begin 
at  the  beginning,  learn  thoroughly  the 
rudiments  of  his  craft,  and  build  up  his 
system  of  design  by  slow  degrees  out  of 
the  results  of  his  daily  experience.  He 
must  learn  to  rely  at  first  on  excellence 
of  handiwork  as  the  foundation  of  his 
claim  to  be  considered  an  artist.  The 
one  guiding  principle  of  all  true  crafts- 
manship is  this  : the  forms  used  in  design 
should  express  naturally  and  simply  the 
properties  of  the  particular  material 
employed. 


CHAPTER  II 

Materials — Educational  value  of  Process — Composi- 
tion of  Pickle — Pitch  for  Repousse  Work 

The  student  will  probably  find  that  it 
is  better  at  first  to  buy  his  silver  plate 
already  rolled  to  the  thickness  required, 

29 


Intro- 

duction 


Materials 


Materials  and  have  the  wire  drawn  by  the  dealer; 

but  later  on  he  will  find  that  he  can  draw 
small  quantities  of  wire  with  a draw- 
plate  fixed  in  a vise,  and  with  a little 
care  and  practise  he  can  thin  out  small 
ingots  of  metal  on  a stake  or  small  anvil 
to  any  required  thickness.  He  will  in 
this  way  get  a knowledge  of  materials 
quite  impossible  of  attainment  under  any 
other  conditions.  The  old  craftsmen 
took  full  advantage  of  the  native  quali- 
ties of  their  materials,  and  these  can  only 
be  learned  by  daily  practise  in  working 
them.  In  the  process  of  work  ideas  are 
matured  which  would  otherwise  have  lain 
dormant  and  useless.  The  design  gradu- 
ally acquires  those  indefinable  qualities 
of  naturalness,  simplicity,  and  sincerity 
which  are  found  to  a supreme  degree  in 
almost  all  old  work. 

The  copper  used  should  be  of  the  best 
quality  procurable.  French  or  Swedish 
copper,  such  as  is  used  for  enameling,  is 
the  best.  For  cloison  wire,  alloy  copper, 
which  is  very  nearly  pure,  should  be  used. 
Electrotype  copper,  which  is  very  pure, 
can  be  used  to  alloy  silver  and  gold, 
but  in  all  your  work  avoid  electrotypes. 
They  are  an  abomination  to  all  who 
30 


have  any  regard  to  the  qualities  which 
are  produced  by  handiwork. 

For  tools  the  finest  tool  steel  in  round, 
square,  or  flat  bars  should  be  used.  A 
few  pounds  of  block  tin  will  be  useful 
for  making  molds,  and  for  use  as  a 
block  on  which  to  stamp  up  with  punches 
small  beads,  disks,  and  leaves.  It  is  less 
yielding  than  lead  for  this  purpose  and 
gives  a cleaner  result.  It  can  also  be 
used  as  a backing  for  work  in  thin  sheet 
silver  or  gold.  Much  Etruscan  work  was 
backed  in  this  way.  The  impressed  orna- 
ments on  medieval  chalices  were  often 
filled  and  attached  to  the  body  of  the  work 
by  tin  used  both  as  solder  and  filling. 

A block  of  zinc,  weighing  about  3 lbs., 
will  also  be  useful  for  making  molds 
in  which  sheet  metal  can  be  roughly 
beaten  up  to  shape  ready  for  chasing. 

Brass  wire  of  different  sizes  is  useful 
for  making  temporary  pins  for  joints, 
and,  if  of  good  quality,  can  be  used  in 
making  silver  solder. 

Binding-wire  of  several  gages,  ranging 
from  18  to  the  finest,  will  also  be  wanted 
for  tying  work  together  while  being 
soldered. 

Borax  should  be  bought  in  crystals. 

31 


Materials 


Materials  A small  piece  of  slate  on  which  to  grind 
it  up  can  be  got  anywhere. 

A small  quantity  of  sulfuric  acid, 
hydrochloric  acid,  and  nitric  acid  will 
be  wanted  for  the  various  pickling  solu- 
tions. They  should  be  obtained  from 
a wholesale  chemist. 

Nitric  acid  pickle  — i part  nitric  acid 
and  6 parts  water. 

Sulfuric  pickle  — i part  acid  and  6 
parts  water. 

Hydrochloric  pickle  — i part  acid  and 
8 parts  water. 

A pound  or  two  of  best  boxwood 
sawdust  will  be  wanted  and  kept  in  an 
ordinary  biscuit  box.  It  is  used  for 
drying  the  work  after  washing.  The 
drying  can  be  hastened  by  putting  the 
box  on  an  iron  plate  supported  over 
a spirit-lamp  or  gas  flame.  The  sawdust 
must  not  be  allowed  to  burn  or  the  work 
will  be  stained  and  the  stain  is  rather 
difficult  to  remove. 

Picch  for  repousse  work  is  best  made 
as  follows  — 

Pitch  ...  4 parts. 

Rosin  . . . 4 „ 

Plaster  of  Paris  . 2 „ 

32 


Melt  the  pitch  and  rosin  together  in 
a pipkin,  and  when  both  have  been  well 
mixed  and  stirred,  put  in  a small  knob  of 
tallow  or  an  inch  or  two  of  tallow  candle 
and  again  stir  the  mixture.  Now  add  the 
plaster  by  handfuls  and  stir  it  in  well. 
Then  pour  it  out  into  a box  well  whitened 
with  dry  whitening,  and  leave  it  to  cool. 
For  winter  work  the  pitch  may  be  found 
too  hard..  It  can  be  softened  by  remelt- 
ing and  adding  another  piece  of  tallow 
candle  to  the  mixture. 

Some  boxwood  sticks,  J inch  square,  for 
polishing  will  be  very  useful. 

A horn  mallet  is  almost  necessary  for 
raising  work,  while  a few  different  sized 
stakes  to  fix  in  the  vise  for  hammer  work 
are  quite  indispensable  ; very  good  ones 
can  be  made  out  of  poker  heads  or  the 
handles  of  fire-tongs. 

CHAPTER  III 

Tools 

The  tools  most  likely  to  be  required  are : 
For  Repousse  work — 

Chasing  hammers  (fig.  6),  two  sizes, 
one  heavy  and  one  light. 

3 


Materials 


Tools 


33 


Various  punches  or  chasing  tools  (fig. 
7).  An  assortment  of  these,  from  forty  to 
fifty,  will  probably  suffice  for  most  simple 
work. 

Except  for  very  special  purposes,  such 
as  touching  up  cast  work,  avoid  the  use 
of  matting  tools,  or  tools  intended  to 
produce  a patterned  or  granulated  sur- 
face. It  is  far  better  to  rely  on  model- 
ing and  design  for  producing  variety  of 
surface. 

A set  of  doming  punches  for  doming 
the  metal,  and  a small  doming  block. 

A set  of  files— round,  flat,  and  three- 
square — and  a set  of  needle  files. 

A pair  of  slide  pliers. 

A set  of  ordinary  scorpers. 

A set  of  engraving  scorpers. 

A few  draw-plates.  These  can  often  be 
purchased  second-hand. 

Snarling  irons.  These  you  can  make 
for  yourself  out  of  lengths  of  bar  steel. 

A small  cold  chisel. 

A bench  vise.  Those  which  revolve  on 
a pivot  are  the  most  useful  for  general 
purposes. 

A joint  tool  for  making  hinges. 

Two  or  three  pliers — round-nosed,  flat, 
and  ordinary. 

34 


Two  pairs  of  cutting  shears,  one 
straight  and  one  curved. 

A jeweler’s  frame  saw  and  fine  piercing 
saws. 

A square  bench  stake,  which  can  be 
of  steel.  The  bottom  of  a flat-iron  will 
do  equally  well  for  this. 

A few  slips  of  boxwood  for  making 
punches  and  for  light  mallets  will  be 
found  very  useful. 

A drill  stock,  which  should  be  one  of 
the  ordinary  Swiss  centrifugal  drills.  The 
drills  for  this  can  either  be  bought  or 
made  as  the  student  desires. 

A sand-bag,  a pitch  block  with  a 
leather  collar  to  keep  the  work  in  its 
place,  and  a blowpipe  and  some  form  of 
spirit-lamp  with  a good  large  flame,  will 
complete  the  list  of  students’  require- 
ments. 

The  student  should  make  as  many 
tools  as  possible  for  himself  This  is 
particularly  the  case  with  drills,  repousse 
tools,  and  dies  and  punches  of  all  kinds. 
In  fact,  there  is  very  little  indeed  that 
the  student  can  not  make  for  himself 
Apart  from  the  valuable  experience  to  be 
gained  in  this  way,  a tool  that  is  made 
for  a particular  purpose  is  almost  always 

35 


Tools 


Tools 


Work 

Benches 


better  than  one  that  is  bought ; while 
the  pleasure  of  having  made  it  for  one- 
self more  than  compensates  for  the 
trouble. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Work  Benches — Best  form  of  Bench — The  Pin — - 
The  Skin — Tool  Rack — Board  Sweep 

The  best  bench  for  the  worker  is  “the 
French  or  jeweler’s  bench/’  which  con- 
sists (fig.  2)  of  a hard  beech  board  with 
a semicircular  hole  cut  out  of  the  front 
to  receive  the  body  of  the  worker  when 
seated.  In  the  center  of  this  bow,  a 
small  wedge-shaped  piece  of  wood  called 
“ the  pin  ” is  inserted  to  form  a rest 
for  the  work  when  filing  or  engraving. 
The  bench  should  stand  very  firmly  n 
and  be  fixed  to  the  floor,  so  that  there 
is  no  spring  in  the  board  when  struck 
with  the  hammer.  Underneath  the 
board,  around  the  bow  of  the  semicircle, 
a leather  sheepskin  is  nailed  to  form 
a receptacle  for  the  filings  of  gold  and 
silver  and  to  hold  the  tools  while  work- 
ing. Many  jewelers  prefer  tin  trays  to 
catch  the  filings,  but  the  latter  have  this 

36 


disadvantage,  that  work  dropped  from  Work 
the  bench  is  more  likely  to  be  injured  Benches 


Fig.  i . 

on  the  tray  than  if  it  fell  into  the  skin. 
On  the  right-hand  side  of  the  bow  the 

37 


Work  flame  for  the  blowpipe  should  be  ar- 
Benches  ranged  (see  fig.  i,  which  shows  a bench 
arranged  for  five  workers).  If  gas  be  used 
the  ordinary  bench  blowpipe  is  fixed 


sufficiently  near  to  the  edge  to  enable 
the  flame  to  be  directed  toward  the  center 
of  the  semicircular  space.  If  a lamp  be 

3* 


used  it  would  naturally  be  placed  in  the 
same  relative  position. 

There  should  be  a rack  at  the  side 
of  the  bench  for  tools,  arranged  so  that 
the  tools  can  be  reached  with  the  least 
possible  loss  of  time  and  temper.  Fixed 
on  the  floor  underneath  the  bench  you 
may  have  a movable  grating  of  wood 
to  catch  any  stray  filings,  and  to  pre- 
vent those  which  fall  from  being  trodden 
into  the  floor  and  lost.  The  bench  and 
the  floor  underneath  must  be  swept  every 
day  and  the  sweepings  preserved.  When 
a sufficient  quantity  has  been  gathered, 
the  sweep  should  be  burned  in  an  iron 
tray  to  remove  any  trace  of  organic 
matter,  the  resulting  ash  well  tried  over 
with  a magnet  to  remove  any  bits  of  iron 
wire,  and  the  sweep  sent  to  the  refiners, 
who,  after  making  an  assay,  will  allow  for 
the  precious  metal  it  may  contain. 

CHAPTER  V 

Wire-Drawing — The  Draw -Bench — Draw-Plate- — 
Tube-Drawing — How  to  make  a Draw-Plate 

Wire  is  made  by  drawing  short  rods  of 
metal  either  by  hand  or  by  means  of  a 

39 


Work 

Benches 


Wire- 

Drawing 


Wire- 

Drawing 


40 


Fig.  3. 


draw-bench  (fig.  3)  through  the  successively 
diminishing  holes  in  a draw-plate  (fig.  4). 
If  the  rods  are  small  in  section  and  the 
quantity  of  wire  required  is  also  small,  the 
draw-plate  can  be  fixed  in  a bench-vise  and 
the  rods  drawn  through  by  hand. 

To  do  this,  first  hammer  the  end 
of  the  rod  taper  so  that  it  will 
come  through  the  hole  nearest 
in  size  to  the  diameter  of  the 
rod.  This  taper  tip  must  be 
strong  enough— when  it  has 
come  through — to  stand  the 
pull  of  a hand-vise.  Rub  the 
rod  with  beeswax  and  draw  it 
through  the  plate ; the  rod  will 
be  found  thinner  and  longer. 

Do  this  with  the  next  hole,  and 
the  next,  until  you  have  drawn  it 
down  to  the  required  size,  taking 
care  to  anneal  it  frequently 
as  each  drawing  naturally  hard- 
ens and  compresses  the  sub- 
stance of  the  rod.  If  the  wire 
has  to  be  very  much  reduced  in  size,  or 
if  there  is  a large  quantity  to  do,  it  will 
be  better  to  use  a draw-bench,  but  the 
principle  of  the  operation  is  the  same  in 
both  cases. 


V. 


V : : 

V.  ; 

\ : 

% 

v : 

\ 

\ 


s. 

% 


Fig.  4. 


Wire- 

Drawing 


41 


Tube-  Small  tubes  can  also  be  drawn  in  this 
Drawing  way  out  of  strips  of  sheet  metal.  Cut  a 
strip  of  metal  of  the  length  and  thickness 
you  require,  and  the  breadth  roughly  thrice 
the  intended  diameter  of  the  tube  ; cut  the 
end  taper  and  with  a hammer  form  it  into 
a sort  of  gutter  lengthwise ; anneal  it  and 
oil  it  or  rub  it  over  with  a little  beeswax 
inside  and  out  and  put  the  taper  tip 
through  the  wide  end  of  the  hole  which 
most  nearly  fits  ; insert  the  tip  of  a pointed 
burnisher  under  the  hollow  of  the  trough 
of  the  metal  and  into  the  back  of  the  hole 
(fig.  5),  then  draw  the  metal  through  the 
hole.  The  burnisher  helps  to  keepthemetal 
true  as  it  folds  round  it  while  being  drawn 
through  the  hole.  The  rough  tube  which 
results  from  this  operation  is  annealed  and 
drawn  through  the  next  smaller  hole,  and 
so  on  until  the  desired  size  is  attained. 

The  student  will  find  this  very  useful 
in  the  preparation  of  tubing  required  for 
hinges  of  brooches,  lockets,  boxes,  and 
caskets.  If  the  tube  is  not  large  in 
diameter  all  the  work  can  be  done  in  the 
vise  and  without  a draw-bench. 

Hollow  tubes  of  any  section  can  be 
drawn  by  using  draw-plates  with  holes  of 
the  required  section,  or  the  student  can 
42 


Tube- 

Drawing 


Fig.  5. 


43 


Tube-  make  his  own  draw-plate  out  of  an  old 
Drawing  flat  file,  first  softening  it,  then  punching 
graduated  holes  with  a taper  punch  of  the 
required  section  filed  up  out  of  bar  steel 
and  properly  hardened.  The  taper  must 
be  very  slight  or  the  edge  of  the  hole  will 
be  too  sharp,  and  will  strip  the  metal  in- 
stead of  compressing  it. 

There  are  very  few  things  necessary  in 
the  workshop  which  a student  can  not  make 
for  himself.  The  curse  of  modern  work- 
shops is  the  dependence  of  the  workmen  on 
machine-made  things.  Rather  than  melt 
an  ingot  and  roll  a small  piece  of  metal  for 
himself  to  the  exact  size  he  needs,  he  cuts  a 
strip  from  a sheet  in  stock  which  is  nearest 
to  the  size.  The  effect  on  the  work  is  de- 
plorable. The  chief  beauty — the  quality 
given  by  human  handiwork — is  absent,  and 
nothing  can  make  up  for  the  loss. 

CHAPTER  VI 

Repousse  Work — Chasing — Method  of  Procedure — 
How  to  hold  the  Tools — the  Behavior  of  Metal 
— Work  in  the  Round — The  Chasing  of  Castings 

Repousse  work  is  modeling  in  relief  pro- 
duced by  working  with  hammer  (fig.  6) 
and  punches  (fig.  7)  on  the  back  of  a sheet 
44 


of  metal  fixed  on  some  yielding  material. 
Chasing  is  work  on  the  face  of  the  sheet. 
The  term  is  also  used  for  finishing  up  the 
surface  of  castings.  The  required  relief 


may  be  obtained  either  by  beating  down 
the  ground  of  the  ornament,  or  by  punch- 
ing out  the  back  and  afterward  finishing 
on  the  face. 

If  the  relief  required  is  very  slight, 
it  may  be  obtained  by  laying  the  sheet 

45 


Repousse 

Work 


Repousse 

Work 


of  metal 

I fl 


" c 
0 ( 


punches 

46 


on  a block  of  lead,  a piece  of 
soft  pine,  or  on  a piece  of 
thick  cork  matting.  For 
higher  relief  the  metal  must 
be  laid  on  a composition  of 
pitch  made  as  already  de- 
scribed. The  tallow  makes  the 
composition  more  yielding, 
and  more  will  be  required  in 
the  winter  than  in  the  summer. 
* The  metal  is  warmed  and  laid 
1 upon  the  pitch  block  (fig.  8). 
I A tracing  of  the  pattern  is 
secured  to  the  metal  by  bits 
of  wax  at  the  corners.  With 
a fine  - pointed  punch  the 
outline  is  delicately  pricked 
through  to  the  surface  of  the 
metal.  Or,  if  the  work  is  too 
delicate  to  admit  of  this,  the 
design  may  be  transferred  with 
carbon  paper.  This  done, 
take  rounded  punches  and 
beat  down  the  ground  of  the 
ornament  according  to  your 
intention.  Get  the  relief 
gradually,  let  the  blows  be 
even  in  force,  guide  the 
that  the  resulting  furrow 


so 


makes  a continuous  surface  and  follows  Repousse 
the  form  you  may  desire  to  express.  At  w°rk 
frequent  intervals  warm  the  metal  on 
the  surface,  remove  it  from  the  pitch, 
and  anneal  it  by  making  it  red  hot. 

This  makes  the  metal  yield  more  freely 


Fig.  8. 


to  the  blows  of  the  punch.  If  this  pre- 
caution is  neglected  the  work  will  crack. 
By  removing  the  metal  from  the  pitch 
an  opportunity  is  given  of  correcting 
any  error  from  the  front  or  back  as  the 
case  may  be.  Punches  with  sharp  edges 

47 


Repousse  must  be  avoided  until  the  last  stages, 
Work  or  the  metal  will  tear.  A few  shaped 

as  in  fig.  9 will  be  found  very  useful 
for  modeling  the  surface.  The  student 
should  practise  until  the  trace  of  the  punch 
on  the  metal  is  smooth  and  even  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  the  lines  from  the 
tracer  clear  and  unbroken.  Unless  this 


Fig.  9. 


is  done  much  time  will  be  spent  in  cor- 
recting defects  which  might  have  been 
avoided.  Endeavor  from  the  first  to 
acquire  the  right  method  of  handling 
the  hammer  and  holding  the  punch.  Any 
chaser  will  show  this  in  a moment.  In 
case  none  is  at  hand  the  appended  diagram 
(fig.  10)  will  make  it  clear.  The  punch 
is  held  between  the  thumb  and  the  first 
48 


and  second  fingers,  the  top  of  the  third 
finger  rests  on  the  metal  as  a pivot  and 
guide.  A little  practise  will  make  this 
action,  at  first  difficult,  afterward  almost 
unconscious. 


Fig.  io. 


In  high  relief  work  the  relief  is  pro- 
duced by  alternately  working  on  the  back 
and  front ; driving  the  ground  down  from 
the  front  and  the  form  out  from  the 
back.  With  care,  patience,  and  many 
annealings,  work  may  be  done  almost 
in  the  round.  For  this  work  punches, 
shaped  somewhat  like  the  tip  of  the 
4 49 


Repousse 

Work 


Repousse,  thumb,  are  most  useful  for  getting  the 
Work  relief  from  the  back,  and  rounded  faced 
punches  for  the  work  on  the  front. 
These  must  be  made  by  the  student 
himself.  In  all  repousse  work  the  main 
thing  is  to  realize  that  metal  is  plastic, 
and  with  care  can  be  led  into  forms  or 
spread  over  surfaces  like  so  much  hard 
wax.  This  is  especially  true  of  copper, 
fine  silver,  fine  and  sovereign  gold.  Brass, 
even  the  best,  is  much  less  tractable. 
The  student  should  be  ever  alert  to 
seize  the  suggestions  of  decorative  treat- 
ment of  the  metal  which  constantly  arise 
while  his  work  is  in  progress.  The 
behavior  of  the  metal  is  more  instructive 
than  any  teacher.  Avoid  the  use  of  matted 
or  grained  surfaces  except  in  cast  work. 

IVork  in  the  Round.— Small  objects — 
birds,  animals,  little  figures — may  be  done 
in  repousse  by  making  the  bodies  in  two 
halves.  Solder  the  two  together,  in  the 
way  described  farther  on,  leaving  a small 
hole  in  the  back  or  where  it  will  least  be 
seen.  Fill  the  inside  with  pitch.  This 
must  be  done  by  putting  in  small  pieces 
and  warming  the  object  over  the  lamp. 
It  may  be  found,  however,  that  the  pitch 
boils  over  and  therefore  that  the  object 

5° 


will  not  be  filled  up  properly.  You  must 
then  take  soft  pitch  and  with  a metal 
spatula  or  the  flat  end  of  a chasing  tool 
press  the  pitch  into  the  hollow,  warming 
the  metal  from  time  to  time. 

Castings  are  chased  as  follows.  The 
rough  productions  and  the  pour  which  is 
left  where  the  metal  ran  into  the  mold 
are  first  sawn  off,  the  marks  of  the  seams 
are  removed  by  small  chisels,  the  object  is 
then  warmed  and  fixed  to  the  pitch-block, 
and  the  surface  modeled  over  with  mat- 
ting punches.  Vents  and  other  defects 
in  the  casting  are  remedied  by  soldering 
pieces  of  solid  metal  to  make  good  the 
deficiency.  Holes  are  drilled  out  cleanly, 
and  pegs  of  metal  screwed  in,  filed  down, 
and  chased  to  the  required  surface. 

CHAPTER  VII 

Hammer  Work — How  to  make  a Cup — Bossing  up 
— The  Stakes — Planishing — How  to  make  a 
Beaker— Snarling-Irons  — Ornamentation  — Base 
for  a Cup — Soldering  the  Base  in  Position — 
Polishing — Another  Method  for  Beakers — The 
Use  of  a Sand-bag — Interlocking  Joints  for  Ham- 
mer Work — Drinking  Cup  with  a Stem 

Take  a sheet  of  metal,  size  14  if  the 
cup  is  to  be  small  to  16  if  the  cup 

51 


Repousse 

Work 


Hammer 

Work 


Hammer 

Work 


is  fairly  large.  Cut  out  a circle  the 
diameter  of  which  is  a little  larger 
than  the  contour  of  the  cup.  Take 
the  compasses  and  lightly  scratch  on  one 
side  of  the  sheet  a series  of  concentric 
circles,  the  smallest  about  an  inch  in 
diameter,  increasing  the  radius  of  the 
succeeding  circles  by  \ inches.  These 
circles  are  to  guide  the  hammer  strokes. 
Now  take  a round-headed  boxwood  mallet 


Fig.  12. 


and  beat  the  metal  into  a rough  cup 
shape  by  beating  it  into  a cup-shaped 
hollow  in  a wooden  beating-block.  This 
rough  cup  or  shallow  bowl  must  now 
be  hammered  into  shape  with  a hammer 
shaped  as  in  fig.  12  on  a stake  shaped 
as  in  fig.  13.  Then  begin  on  the  inside 
and  with  the  round-faced  hammer,  and 
keeping  the  elbow  close  to  the  side,  beat 

S3 


Hammer 

Work 


Hammer  round  in  circles,  using  the  hammer  from 
Work  the  wrist  and  not  from  the  elbow.  Re- 
peat this,  taking  care  to  keep  the  blows 
in  concentric  circles  and  to  work  regu- 
larly until  the  metal  begins  to  take  shape 
and  to  feel  springy.  Then  anneal  it, 
and,  still  using  the  same  stake,  beat  on 
the  outside  from  the  innermost  circle  out- 
ward, taking  care  to  leave  the  thickness 


of  the  brim  untouched.  It  may  happen 
that  the  cup  has  become  uneven  in  shape ; 
this  can  be  remedied  after  heating  by 
beating  it  out  again  from  the  inside,  with 
the  box  mallet,  into  the  cup-shaped  de- 
pression on  the  beating-block.  Care  must 
be  taken  not  to  stretch  the  metal  unduly 
while  doing  this. 

The  work  is  then  continued  and  is 

54 


almost  wholly  done  from  the  outside,  Hammer 
still  keeping  the  blows  in  circles,  turning  Work 
the  cup  round  with  the  left  hand.  A 
skilful  hammerman  at  this  stage,  by 
regulating  the  inclination  of  the  hammer 
face,  can  drive  the  metal  in  any  direction, 
thickening  the  rim  or  the  bottom  or 
the  sides  of  the  cup  as  may  be  necessary. 

After  the  shaping  of  the  cup  is  com- 
pleted, it  must  be  planished  by  using  a 
hammer  with  a polished  face,  on  a stake 
also  polished  for  this  purpose.  When 
carefully  done  this  leaves  the  surface 
true  and  bright  and  covered  all  over  with 
brilliant  facets.  This  method  produces 
a cup  beaten  out  of  one  piece.  The  form 
can  naturally  be  varied  at  will,  but  it 
will  often  be  found  that  the  shapes  taken 
by  the  cup  during  the  progress  of  the 
work  are  much  more  interesting  than  those 
we  set  out  to  do.  These  suggestions  of 
form  should  always  be  noted  and  worked 
out,  either  when  the  work  in  hand  is  done 
or  frankly  adopted  as  they  arise. 

The  beaker  form  (fig.  15)  is  pro- 
duced by  the  use  of  different  stakes  (fig. 

14)  or  the  beck-iron.  Cut  out  your 
metal  to  the  required  size,  making  the 
diameter  of  the  circle  equal  to  the  whole 

55 


Hammer 

Work 


56 


Fig.  14. 


Hammer 

Work 


Fig.  15. 


57 


Hammer  length  of  the  profile  line  you  propose 
Work  (fig.  i^a).  Make  a central  circle  the  size 
of  the  base  of  the  beaker  and  place  the 
tip  of  the  curved  stake  against  this  line; 


on  this  drive  the  metal  away  from  you 
by  regular  strokes  of  the  rounded  edged 
hammer.  Keep  the  circles  of  blows 
concentric  and  the  blows  even  in  force. 
The  metal  will  probably  assume  some- 


Fig.  16. 


thing  of  this  section  after  a short  time. 
The  recurved  edges  must  be  driven  out- 
ward on  the  stake  with  the  mallet 

58 


(fig.  14)  and  the  work  of  the  hammer 
resumed  until  the  general  shape  has  been 
attained.  It  can  now  be  planished  as 
before  described.  The  body  of  the 
beaker  or  cup  may  be  decorated  with 
raised  surfaces  (fig.  15),  produced  from 
the  inside  by  using  snarling-irons  (fig. 
17).  These  are  cranked  punches  Z- 
shaped  with  ends  of  different  form ; one 


arm  of  the  Z is  fixed  in  the  vise,  the 
other  adjusted  beneath  the  part  of  the 
cup  which  is  to  be  raised. 

The  Use  of  the  S n ar ling- 1 r on. —The  cup 
is  held  in  position  with  the  left  hand,  and 
the  long  arm  of  the  snarling-iron  struck 
smartly  with  the  hammer  at  A.  This 
causes  the  point  of  the  snarler  to  strike 
against  the  inner  side  of  the  cup  with 
nearly  the  same  force  as  the  original 

59 


Hammer 

Work 


Hammer  blow.  This  method  is  employed  where- 
Work  ever  it  is  impossible,  owing  to  the  depth 
of  the  cup  or  bowl,  to  use  the  hammer 
or  a tracing  tool,  and  with  care  almost 
any  amount  of  relief  can  be  obtained. 
But  as  the  metal  is  not  supported  by 
pitch,  which  not  only  deadens  the  force 
of  the  blow  but  holds  the  metal  up 
against  the  blow,  much  less  force  must 
be  employed,  and  the  operation  of  raising 
must  be  more  gradual.  When  you  have 
brought  the  cup,  by  the  use  of  the 
hammer,  to  the  shape  you  require,  and 
have  planished  it  and  made  its  shape  true, 
it  can  be  filled  with  pitch  and  fixed  on  a 
pitch-block  or  on  a sand-bag  and  com- 
pleted from  the  face  with  chasing  tools. 

Ornamentation.  — Whatever  ornament 
you  require  must  be  such  as  expresses  or 
emphasizes  the  forms  of  the  cup.  Spiral 
lines  or  flutes  or  ribs,  or  combinations 
of  these,  may  be  made  to  produce  the 
most  delightful  variations  of  surface. 
Lozenges,  zigzags,  chevrons,  any  one 
of  these  absolutely  elementary  forms, 
repeated  rhythmically  on  the  surface, 
will  produce  the  pleasantest  effect.  You 
must  not  set  them  out  too  exactly — trust 
rather  to  eye  and  hand;  the  variation 
60 


from  geometric  accuracy  reveals  the 
human  worker,  and  it  is  the  trace  of  the 
human  touch  which  makes  the  meanest 
material  precious.  A cup  with  a narrow 
wreath  of  strictly  formalized  leaves  and 
flowers  bordered  above  and  below  by 
a good  broad  band  of  plain  surface, 
and  then  enriched  below,  where  the  hand 
grasps  it,  with  a chequer  or  continuous 
patterning  of  chevrons  done  by  traced 
lines  from  the  outside,  will  look  dignified, 
rich,  and  workmanlike.  Or  you  may 
raise  a row  of  largish  bosses  with  the 
snarling-iron  and  trace  concentric  lines 
round  them  and  powder  the  surface  with 
small  bosses,  mere  punch  marks  done 
from  the  inside,  and  encircled  from  the 
outside;  or  you  may,  with  a crescent- 
shaped punch  cut  for  the  purpose,  make 
rings  of  petals  round  one  t>f  these 
marks  as  a center — always  using  as  sug- 
gestion the  effects  produced  naturally  by 
the  tools  you  employ.  You  will  then 
be  the  less  tempted  to  follow  the  vagaries 
of  L' Art  Nouveau , that  corrupted  com- 
pound of  uneasy  vermiformity,  slickness, 
and  imbecility,  from  which  escape  seems 
almost  impossible.  It  is  the  art  of  the 
undying  worm. 

6 1 


Hammer 

Work 


Hammer  If  it  be  desired  to  add  a base  to  the 

Work  beaker,  you  will  take  a circle  of  metal 

as  much  greater  in  radius  than  the  bottom 
of  the  cup  as  you  wish  the  projection 

of  the  molding  to  be.  You  will  then 

dome  it  up  in  the  hollowed  wood-block 
to  get  the  rough  shape,  afterward 
finishing  it  with  hammers  on  the  stake 
you  used  for  the  cup.  Or  you  may 
put  the  dome  on  pitch  and  shape  it 
with  repousse  punches,  taking  care  to 
avoid  too  much  elaboration.  The  sim- 
plest rounds,  chamfers,  and  hollows,  with 
good  broad  surfaces  to  catch  the  light 
and  reflections  when  polished,  are  always 
best.  The  student  must  not  forget  that 
these  suggestions  of  design  are  only  those 
which  have  arisen  in  my  own  experience. 
They  are  not  to  be  taken  as  the  only 
possible  mean§  of  decoration.  If  the 
worker  has  any  imagination  — few  are 
really  without  it,  for  imagination  is 
only  active  love  of  beauty  whether  in 
Nature  or  in  Art — then  he  will  find  the 
way  for  himself,  his  spirit  and  its  mani- 
festation in  his  work  will  be  shaped  to 
the  thing  he  loves.  A man’s  work  is  the 
mirror  of  his  mind. 

The  joint  between  the  base  and  the  cup 

62 


may  now  be  made.  The  flat  center  of  Hammer 
the  base  must  be  cut  away  with  the  saw,  Work 
leaving  a broad  fillet  all  round.  Let 
each  be  well  pickled  in  diluted  sulfuric 
acid,  scrape  the  joins  well  on  the  base 
and  on  the  cup,  paint  both  with  borax 
and  water,  tie  the  two  together  with  dips 
of  strong  binding-wire  so  that  they  can 
not  slip  about,  and  charge  the  joint  with 
paillons  of  solder  dipped  in  borax,  and 
solder  with  the  large  blowpipe  and  foot- 
bellows,  taking  care  to  support  the  cup  so 
that  it  does  not  get  bent  out  of  shape 
when  hot.  See  Chapter  XI  on  Soldering. 

It  will  now  be  necessary  to  replanish 
the  cup  on  the  stake,  as  the  heat  will  have 
taken  all  the  stiffness  out  of  the  metal. 

Any  refinement  of  outline  can  now  be 
given,  any  roughness  about  the  joint  filed 
clean,  and  the  base  made  true  on  the  face- 
plate or  upon  a piece  of  plate-glass.  The 
same  must  be  done  for  the  rim.  The  cup 
should  be  pickled  again  until  quite  white 
and  frosted  looking.  It  must  next  be 
stoned  with  a piece  of  Water  of  Ayr  stone 
to  take  away  the  outer  film  of  oxid. 

Unless  this  is  done  you  can  not  get  any 
proper  polish  or  show  the  real  color  of 
the  metal. 


63 


Hammer  There  is  yet  another  method  of  making 
Work  a beaker.  It  is  much  easier  but  less 
workmanlike.  Turn  up  a conical  tube 
of  metal  and  solder  the  joint  carefully, 
then  hammer  it  out  on  the  beck-iron 
to  any  curve  you  please,  always  keeping 
the  hammer  blows  in  concentric  hori- 
zontal rings  round  the  cup ; make  the 
base  as  before,  next  solder  to  the  base 
a ring  of  plain,  half-round,  or  twisted 
wire  the  exact  size  of  the  bottom  of 
the  body  of  the  cup.  This  steadies  the 
body  on  the  base  and  makes  it  easier 
to  tie  the  two  together  for  the  final 
soldering.  The  cup  can  be  planished, 
filed  true,  and  polished  as  before.  In- 
stead of  planishing  you  may  prefer  to  add 
bands  of  zigzags  or  waves  or  moldings 
or  a wreath  of  leaves.  If  so,  fill  the  cup 
with  melted  pitch,  taking  care  to  smear 
the  inside  with  oil  or  with  whitening  and 
water  beforehand,  and  let  it  cool.  Warm 
the  pitch  on  the  block,  press  the  cup 
mouth  downward  on  the  melted  sur- 
face and  put  a weight  on  the  top  until 
cool,  or,  what  is  simpler,  you  can  lay 
it  on  a sand-bag,  and  do  without  the 
pitch-block.  The  first  method  is  how- 
ever the  most  secure.  Then  sketch  on 

64 


the  ornament  and  outline  it  with  a tracer, 
lightly  if  you  do  not  want  the  lines  to 
show  inside  and  firmly  if  you  do. 

If,  for  example,  you  wish  to  raise  a 
rounded  band  around  the  cup  near  the 
brim.  Trace  a line  above  and  below 
all  round  the  cup,  the  distance  apart 
being  the  width  of  the  molding.  You 


will  then  remove  the  cup  from  the 
pitch  - block,  warm  it  slightly  in  the 
blowpipe  flame,  and  take  out  the  pitch. 
Then  rewarm  the  pitch  on  the  block, 
lay  the  cup  on  its  side,  and  press  it  well 
into  the  pitch.  The  space  between  the 
two  traced  lines  can  then  be  beaten  out 
with  rounded  punches  to  the  projection 
5 65 


Hammer 

Work 


Hammer  required.  Other  projections  which  may 
Work  be  required  lower  down  within  the  cup 
must  be  done  with  the  snarling-iron, 


Fig.  19. 


but  these  should  only  be  very  slight, 
as  the  cup  would  be  difficult  to  clean 
66 


when  in  use.  Then  clean,  polish,  and 
finish  as  before. 

Another  kind  of  joint  which  may  be 
used  in  metal  jugs  or  vases,  or  in  any  case 
where  the  joint  does 
not  matter,  is  the  inter- 
locking joint  (see  fig. 

1 8).  Cut  out  the  metal 
to  the  shape  required, 
making  it  \ inch  longer 
than  is  necessary  for  a 
butt  joint,  giving  thus  a 
lap  of  l inch,  and  divide 
each  of  the  edges  to  be 
joined  into  an  equal  num- 
ber of  spaces  not  more 
than  \ inch  nor  less  than 
\ inch ; cut  these  with  the 
shears  a little  more  than 
i inch  inward  and  scrape 
both  sides  clean.  Bend 
the  alternate  lappets  of 
metal  up  and  down  on 
each  half,  fit  the  two 
together  and  solder  firmly,  flushing  the 
joints  thoroughly.  The  resulting  tube  or 
cone  can  now  be  hammered  into  shape 
and  planished  almost  as  if  it  were  in  one 
piece. 


Hammer 

Work 


67 


Hammer  Fig.  19  shows  a cup  on  a pillar-like 
Work  base.  The  cup  would  be  made  separately 
as  above  described,  and  the  base  would 
be  made  as  if  it  were  a beaker.  The 
raised  moldings  on  the  stem  (fig.  20) 
would  be  done  with 
the  snarling-iron  and 
chased  up  from  the 
front.  The  grapes 
and  moldings  on  the 
cup  would  all  be 
done  from  the  in- 
side. The  cup  and 
base  would  then  be 
soldered  together  as 
before.  In  the  bottom  of  the  cup  you 
might  place  a small  panel  of  the  vine 
(fig.  21).  Seen  through  wine  a little 
ornament  in  a silver  cup  looks  as  if  done 
in  fine  enamel. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Candlesticks — The  Socket — The  Shaft — The  Scorer 
— The  Knop — The  Base — Fitting  Together — 
Polishing — A Simpler  Form  of  Candlestick 

Candlesticks  First  take  a disk  of  silver  or  copper,  10 
gage,  3 inches  in,  diameter,  beat  it  into 
68 


Candlesticks 


Silver  Knop. 


Candlesticks  a cup  as  before  described.  This  is  to 
hold  the  socket  of  the  candle.  Next 
make  the  shaft,  which  may  be  six-sided 
and  tapering.  Take  a piece  of  metal  of 
the  same  size,  and  draw  upon  it  one  face 

of  the  tapering  shaft, 
and  then,  using  each 
side  of  this  face  as 
one  side  of  the  two 
neighboring  faces, 
mark  them  out  also 
(fig.  23)  with  a cutter 
made  out  of  a file 
by  bending  the  tang 
at  right  angles  (fig. 
24),  the  end  being 
sharpened  to  a chisel 
point,  the  edge  run- 
ning lengthwise.  Cut 
down  the  two  inner 
angles  until  you  have 
cut  half  through  the 
metal,  bend  the  sides 
to  their  proper  angle,  and  flush  the  angle 
with  silver  solder.  Repeat  this  for  the 
other  half  of  the  shaft,  and  tie  and 
solder  the  halves  together.  File  up  the 
two  visible  joins  clean  and  smooth.  Now 
make  the  boss  (fig.  27)  out  of  10  gage 
70 


by  making  a cup,  and  then  drawing  the  Candlesticks 
mouth  gradually  over  on  the  curved  stake 
with  the  hammer  shown 
in  fig.  25. 

Planish  it  carefully,  and 
anneal  it  afterward.  Boss 
out  with  a snarling-iron 
a few  shallow  circular 
bosses  around  the  knop. 

Now  fill  the  knop  with 
pitch,  and  draw  on  the 
circular  bosses  whatever 
ornament  you  please. 

You  might,  for  example, 
conventionalize  the  sym- 
bols of  the  constellations 
nearest  the  North  Star. 

Now  make  the  guard- 
dish  with  a circular  rais- 
ing in  the  center,  to  form 
a base  for  the  shaft;  beat 
it  up  like  a flat  saucer, 
planish  it,  and  beat  round 
the  edges  other  circular 
panels,  on  which  you  will 
place  whatever  you  wish, 
i.e.  symbols  of  the  seven  planets  as  being 
congruous  with  the  first  suggestion.  Now 
make  two  circles  of  twisted  square  wire, 

7i 


Fig.  24. 


Candlesticks  one  circle  being  right,  the  other  left-hand 
twist,  one  circle  just  fitting  outside,  the 
other  just  fitting  inside  the  rim  of  the 
guard-dish,  and  solder  them  to  this  edge 
(fig.  2 6). 

On  the  circular  raising  you  will  solder 
a six-sided  bearing-plate,  and  just  within 
the  edges  of  this  bearing-plate  you  will 
solder  a line  of  strong  square  twist.  The 
space  enclosed  must  exactly  fit  the  base 


of  the  shaft,  which  will  be  strengthened 
by  a band  of  thick  metal,  surmounted  by 
a ring  of  twist,  and  just  above  the  bottom 
edge  a second  row  of  reverse  twist  arranged 
to  fit  exactly  over  the  twist  soldered  on  the 
plate  on  the  guard-dish.  To  make  the  base, 
take  a piece  of  No.  12,  and  beat  it  up 
into  a cup  with  a fiat  bottom  and  tapering 
slightly  hollow  sides.  The  rim  of  this 
cup  will  of  course  be  the  bottom,  and 
the  edge  should  have  a broad  flat  beading 
72 


raised  round  it  to  strengthen  it.  You  may  Candlesticks 

now  arrange  a few  sprays  of  flowers  round 

this  base,  and  after  bossing  them  out  from 

the  back,  fill  the  base  with  pitch  and  chase 

them  up  from  the  front.  The  socket  for 

the  candle  is  a simple  cylinder  of  No.  8, 

long  enough  to  project  at  least  \ inch 

above  the  edge  of  the  smaller  cup,  and 

having  two  rings  of  twisted  wire  soldered 

round  the  upper  edge. 

You  have  now  to  fit  the  whole  together. 

First  cut  a hole  in  the  knop  (see  fig.  27) 


Fig.  26. 


large  enough  to  let  the  hexagonal  shaft 
through  to  the  proper  height  (see  fig.  25) ; 
file  the  edges  true,  and  then  dome  up  a shal- 
low cup  of  14  metal  to  cover  the  bottom 
of  the  knop.  Cut  a similar  hexagonal  hole 
in  this,  and  when  it  fits  the  shaft  and  the 
knop  properly,  take  them  apart,  and  solder 
the  shallow  cup  to  the  knop.  Next  clean 
the  knop  in  pickle  and  slip  it  into  place 
on  the  shaft,  and  turn  up  a band  of 
metal  about  \ inch  broad  to  fit  the  shaft 

73 


Candlesticks 


underneath  the  knop.  Solder  two  rows  of  Candlesticks 
square  twist  with  a plain  flatted  wire  be- 
tween to  the  upper  edge  of  this  band.  A 
similar  but  smaller  band  having  been  fitted 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  knop,  the  latter  can 
now  be  slipped  into  position  and  riveted 
firmly  there.  You  can  now  fasten  this  in 
its  place  on  the  shaft  with  small  screws 
or  rivets.  Beat  out  a shallow  cup  out  of 
14  copper  \ inch  deep,  and  about  1 inch 
outside  diameter.  Tap  a screw  on  the 
end  of  a piece  of  J-inch  German  silver  wire 
about  1 inch  longer  than  the  shaft,  and  on 
the  other  end  solder  the  shallow  cup  you 
have  just  beaten  out.  You  will  now  need 
to  cut  plates  of  thick  metal,  size  14  or  16, 
and  after  drilling  a hole  the  size  of  the 
center  rod,  to  fit  them  inside  the  top  and 
bottom  of  the  shaft.  These  plates  are  to 
prevent  movement  when  the  whole  candle- 
stick is  screwed  together.  You  will  now 
need  a screw  nut  and  a washer-plate.  Fit 
all  the  parts  carefully  together,  and  screw 
the  nut  tight.  If  there  be  any  movement 
it  means  that  the  bearing  surfaces  do  not 
fit  each  other,  and  the  inequalities  must 
be  filed  away.  When  everything  fits,  the 
whole  can  be  polished  with  oil  and  pumice 
and  finished  with  rotten  stone  or  crocus, 

75 


Candlesticks  but  do  not  remove  the  hammer  marks. 

When  it  is  all  clean  put  it  together  finally, 
and  darken  the  whole  surface  with  a weak 
solution  of  sulfid  of  ammonium  in  hot 
water.  Then  wash  it  dry,  and  again  polish 
slightly  with  a leather  and  a little  rouge, 
and  the  work  is  complete. 

Another  form  may  be  made  thus 

Beat  up  two  deep  funnel-shaped  cups 
out  of  14  copper,  one  larger  than  the 
other  for  the  base,  the  smaller  one  for 
the  top.  When  the  shapes  are  true,  make 
a shallow  saucer-shaped  cup  a little  larger 
than  the  top  circle,  and  turn  the  edges 
over  a stake  with  an  edge  to  it,  or  over 
the  edge  of  a hammer  held  in  the  vise. 
Then  fit  it  on  the  top  and  carefully 
hammer  the  edge  of  the  saucer  down 
until  it  grips  the  edge  of  the  cup.  This 
makes  the  top  of  the  candlestick.  You 
will  now  need  a boss  to  cover  the  meeting 
of  the  upper  joint  and  lower  portions  of 
the  candlestick.  This  is  made  either  by 
beating  up  a deep  cup  as  before  described, 
then,  after  filling  it  with  pitch,  chase  a 
wreath  of  olive  or  laurel  or  vine  leaves, 
drawn  carefully  from  nature,  and  arranged 
spirally  round  the  boss,  beginning  at  the 
bottom. 

76 


Candlesticks 


77 


Candlesticks 


When  you  have  got  the  relief  you 
can  beat  down  the  ground,  and  after 
removing  the  pitch  pierce  the  openings 
through  with  a sharp  tracer,  and  then  fit 
it  into  its  place,  as  described  before,  and 
fasten  the  two  together  with  a central  rod 
and  a screw-nut.  The  candle-socket  is 


beaten  up  out  of  a cylinder,  its  top  edge 
expanded  and  turned  over  (see  fig.  29),  and 
beaten  down  carefully  into  a rim ; a false 
bottom  is  next  soldered  in,  and  the  socket 
fitted  lightly  over  the  cylindrical  head  of 
the  central  shaft  as  before.  Another  boss 
may  be  made  by  beating  up  two  cups ; one, 
a little  larger  than  the  other,  has  its  edges 
78 


spread  out  and  turned  over  the  lip  of  the  Candlesticks 
smaller  bowl,  as  described  for  the  top  of 
the  candlestick.  This  makes  a very  simple 
and  sturdy-looking  candlestick. 


CHAPTER  IX 

( 

Spoons — The  Shape  of  the  Bowl — The  Stem — The 
Handle  or  Thumbpiece — Joining  the  Bowl  and 
Handle — Second  Method  of  Making  a Spoon — 

Third  Method — Boxwood  Punches — The  Lead 
Matrix — Ingots  for  Handles 

First  take  a piece  of  silver,  say  io  gage,  Spoons 
mark  on  it  the  shape  of  the  bowl  (fig.  30) — 
avoid  the  ugly  modern  shapes — and  beat  it 
out  with  a boxwood  mallet  into  a suitable 
hollow  in  the  beating-block.  When  you 
have  got  it  nearly  into  shape,  true  it  up 
on  the  rounded  stake  with  a planishing 
hammer.  Then  take  a piece  of  -j^g-th 
square  wire  or  a strip  of  thick  plate  a 
little  longer  than  the  handle  you  propose 
and  thicker,  or  you  may  cast  a thick  taper 
ingot  like  a big  nail.  Then  gradually 
spread  the  top  out  wedge-shaped  with 
a hammer  on  the  anvil,  annealing  the 
metal  from  time  to  time.  You  may  find 

79 


that  as  the  metal  extends  it  will  crack  at  Spoons 
the  edge,  if  so  file  away  the  crack  with 
a triangular  file;  this  prevents  the  crack 
from  spreading.  When  you  have  spread 
it  out  a little  more,  take  a chisel  and 
divide  the  wedge  into  parts  as  shown  in 
the  diagram  (fig.  31).  Anneal  it  well,  and 
bend  the  cut  portions  outward  (fig.  32), 
and  hammer  them  carefully  into  long 
taper  twigs.  When  you  have  done  this 
neatly,  anneal  the  metal  again  and  coil 


Fig.  3 1 . 


the  twigs  up  as  on  fig.  30,  or  in  any 
symmetrical  way  you  may  please.  You 
will  now  solder  the  coils  to  each  other, 
and  further  strengthen  the  joins  by  adding 
grains  or  groups  of  grains  at  the  various 
points  of  junction.  You  will  now  have 
to  fix  the  bowl  and  handle  together. 
Hammer  the  end  of  the  handle  taper, 
leaving,  however,  a squarish  projection  at 
6 81 


Spoons  the  very  end  of  the  handle.  This  is  to 
give  a broader  base  for  the  attachment 
of  the  bowl.  Unless  the  end  of  the 


handle  spreads  out  over  the  bowl  where 
it  joins,  the  strain  put  upon  the  spoon 
in  polishing  will  soon  tear  the  bowl  and 
82 


handle  apart.  When  you  have  tapered 
the  handle  nicely,  flatten  out  the  square 
projection  fan-wise  and 
file  it  to  fit  the  bowl. 

Take  a narrow  strip  of 
iron  about  Y^th  thick 
and  i^-th  wide  and  tie 

it  firmly  to  the  handle 
with  wire,  so  that  the 
iron  projects  beyond  the 
spoon  end  of  the  handle 
by  more  than  the  length 
of  the  bowl.  You  can 
now  tie  the  bowl  and 
handle  together  with 
binding-wire  and  solder 
the  two  together.  This 
done  planish  the  bowl 
upon  a rounded  stake, 
both  to  harden  the  metal 
and  to  correct  any  al- 

teration in  shape  that 
may  have  come  about  in 
the  soldering.  Do  the 
same  with  the  handle. 

The  work  can  now  be  IG-  33- 

stoned  and  polished  with  pumice  and  oil, 
finishing  up  with  rouge. 

Another  way  is  to  cast  an  ingot  of  the 

83 


Spoons 


Spoons  rough  shape  of  the  bowl  and  shank  to- 
gether (see  fig.  33).  The  whole  spoon  is 
then  shaped  up  with  the  hammer  and  the 
file,  after  the  ingot  has  been  passed  through 
the  rolling-mill  once  or  twice  to  consoli- 
date the  metal.  The  objection  to  this 
is  that  it  is  more  wasteful  of  the  metal, 
but  if  you  preserve  the  lemel  with  suf- 
ficient care,  the  waste  can  be  almost  entirely 
recovered. 

Another  way  of  preparing  the  bowls 
is  to  take  a good-sized  piece  of  boxwood 
(fig.  34)  and  carve  it  into  the  shape  of  the 
convex  side  of  the  bowl.  An  impression 
of  this  is  taken  in  modeling  wax,  and 
a plaster  cast  made  from  the  wax.  Trim 
the  plaster-cast  into  a square  block,  bend 
up  a piece  of  thin  sheet  metal  so  that  it 
makes  an  edging  almost  an  inch  high 
above  the  top  surface  of  the  cast  (fig.  35). 
Tie  this  edging  tightly  round  the  cast  with 
binding-wire,  and  fill  up  round  the  edge 
of  the  cast  with  a little  thin  plaster.  Dry 
the  whole  near  the  fire  or  in  an  oven  until 
every  trace  of  moisture  has  disappeared. 
Over  this  cast  or  mold,  when  it  is  per- 
fectly dry,  pour  melted  lead,  and  you  will 
have  a mold  of  the  concave  side  of  the 
spoon.  Place  this  mold  upon  the  anvil, 

84 


and  a piece  of  io-gage  silver  on  the 
mold.  With  repeated  blows  on  the  box- 
wood punch  drive  the  metal  into  the 


mold,  annealing  as  often  as  may  be 
necessary.  You  will  now  have  a rough 
shape  of  the  bowl ; the  superfluous  metal 
must  be  cut  away,  and  the  crinkled  edges 

85 


Spoons 


Spoons 


hammered  out  smooth  upon  a rounded 
stake  with  a small  tapping-hammer. 

A good  deal  of  hammer  work  in  the 
preparation  of  the  handle  can  be  avoided 
by  making  the  ingot  more  nearly  the 
shape  and  size  of  the  finished  work.  It 
can  be  flattened,  and  the  end  thinned  out 


Fig.  35. 


in  the  rolling-mill.  The  finishing  can  be 
done  with  the  hammer  on  the  stake  as 
before.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  leaving  the 
hammer  marks  where  they  are  seen  to 
have  been  necessary  to  produce  the  shape ; 
they  will  always  look  beautiful.  But  the 
modern  vice  of  putting  in  hammer  marks 
to  make  a bad  form  look  well,  is  more 
than  reprehensible — it  is  foolish. 

86 


CHAPTER  X 


Silver  Solder — Use  of  Scrap  Silver — The  Crucible— 
The  Ingot  Mold — Enameling  Solder — Solders  for 
Large  Work — How  to  Make  Ingot  Molds 

It  is  best  always  to  make  your  own  solder. 
It  will  help  to  use  up  small  scrap  silver, 


to  buy. 


Silver 

Solder 


87 


Silver  For  ordinary  work  take  two  parts  of 
Solder  silver  cuttings  and  one  part  of  fine  brass 
cut  small,  and  put  them  in  a small  fire- 
clay crucible  (fig.  36)  with  a little  borax. 
Place  the  crucible  carefully  in  the  coke 
on  the  furnace,  and  put  more  coke  round 


Fig.  37. 


it,  leaving  an  opening  in  front  and  on 
the  top.  Then  with  the  gas  blowpipe 
and  foot-bellows  direct  the  flame  on  the 
crucible,  gradually  increasing  the  force  of 
the  blast  until  the  metal  is  fused.  Care 
must  be  taken  not  to  give  more  heat  than 
88 


is  absolutely  necessary,  or  the  zinc  in  the 
brass  will  be  oxidized,  and  the  subsequent 
fusibility  of  the  solder  impaired. 

Have  ready  an  ingot  mold  (fig.  37) 
well  greased ; pour  the  fluid  metal  into 
the  mold,  and  leave  to  cool.  When 
cool  you  can  roll  it  through  the  metal 
rollers  down  to  size  6 metal  gage,  or 
thinner  if  you  want  it  for  very  small 
work. 

If  fine  brass  can  not  be  obtained,  fine 
spelter  or  good  pins  will  do  equally  well. 

A very  hard  solder  for  use  in  enameling 
is  made  as  follows  : 

oz.  dwt.  grs. 

Fine  silver  1 o o 

Alloy  copper  .0  5 o 

1 5 °. 

For  a large  piece  of  work  requiring 
many  solderings  the  successive  solderings 
may  be  safely  done  by  using  a more  fusible 
solder  for  each  operation. 

The  range  of  solder  may  be  as  fol- 
lows : 

No.  1.  7 parts  fine  silver  to  1 of  fine  brass. 


33 

2. 

5 

>> 

>> 

1 

>3 

33 

33 

3- 

3 

I 

33 

33 

33 

4- 

1 

>> 

>> 

33 

I 

33 

>3 

89 

Silver 

Solder 


Silver 

Solder 


It  is,  however,  rarely  necessary  to  use 
so  much  precaution  ; care  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  joints  and  in  the  regulation 
of  the  flame  will  make  it  possible  to  do 
with  only  one  solder. 

How  to  Make  Ingot  Molds.— If  you 
have  not  got  an  ingot  mold  one 

can  easily  be 
made.  Take  a 


Fig. 


piece  of  square 
iron  wire,  bend 
it  up  into  the 
shape  of  a long 
U (fig.  3 8),  file 
the  edges  true, 
and  on  one  side 
of  the  U file 
cross  nicks  with 
a 3 -square  file. 
These  nicks  al- 
low the  air  to 
escape  when 
the  metal  is  be- 
■ ing  poured  in. 
38,  Then  take  two 

pieces  of  thick  sheet  iron  a little  larger 
than  the  U,  and  place  one  on  each 
side  of  the  U,  and  tie  the  whole  to- 
gether with  binding- wire.  Ingots  of 

9° 


Silver 

Solder 


Fig.  39. 


91 


Silver  any  size  can  be  made  by  varying  the 
Solder  thickness  and  contour  of  the  iron  en- 
closing wire. 

By  using  narrow  ingots  you  can  cast 
slips  of  metal  which  can  be  afterward 
drawn  down  into  wire  through  a draw- 
plate  fixed  in  a vise  (see  chapter  on 
Wire-Drawing). 

You  will  need  broad  ingots  if  you  wish 
to  roll  plate,  narrow  ingots  for  wire. 
Several  forms  of  ingot  are  given  in  the 
diagram  (fig.  39,  A,  B,  and  C). 

CHAPTER  XI 

Soldering — Use  of  Borax — The  Blowpipe — 
Soldering  Lamps 

Soldering  The  art  of  soldering  with  the  fusible  alloys 
given  above  is  one  which  is  much  writ- 
ten about  and  but  very  rarely  described, 
although  the  process  itself  is  exceedingly 
simple.  It  demands  only  care  and  scrupu- 
lous cleanliness  of  all  the  materials.  The 
parts  of  the  metal  to  be  joined  must  be  abso- 
lutely clean — that  is,  scraped  bright ; the 
solder  itself  must  be  clean  also.  First,  take 
a lump  of  borax  crystal ; grind  up  a little 
with  water  on  a small  piece  of  slate.  Take 

92 


a slip  of  solder,  cut  a number  of  slits  Soldering 
lengthwise  down  one  end,  and  then,  by  a 
few  cross-cuts,  snip  off  a number  of  tiny 
bits  or  panels  of  solder.  These  panels 
are  then  dipped  in  the  borax,  so  that  they 
are  completely  covered  by  a thin  coating 
of  borax.  Next,  the  pieces  of  metal  hav- 
ing been  scraped  clean  along  the  join,  are 
both  painted  over  with  a solution  of  borax 
by  means  of  a camehs-hair  brush.  The 
pieces  are  now  to  be  tied  together  in  their 
proper  positions  by  binding-wire.  Care 
must  be  taken  here  not  to  bring  the  edges 
of  the  metal  too  closely  together,  or  else 
the  solder  when  fused  will  run  along  the 
angle  instead  of  entering  the  joint.  When 
this  happens  the  work  looks  as  if  it  were 
perfectly  soldered,  but  on  filing  or  putting 
any  strain  on  it  the  joint  immediately  falls 
to  pieces. 

It  is  therefore  important  for  silver 
soldering  that  the  work  should  be  fitted 
closely,  but  not  too  closely.  Enough 
space  should  be  left  for  the  metal  to  run 
along  the  joint  by  capillary  attraction. 

When  the  two  pieces  of  metal  are  fitted, 
and  bound  together  as  described  with  iron 
binding-wire,  the  joint  is  then  moistened 
with  a brush  charged  with  borax  solution ; 

93 


Soldering  the  little  chips  of  solder  are  then  placed 
at  intervals  fairly  closely  along  the  joint. 
The  work  is  then  gently  warmed  in  the 
flame  of  a blowpipe  to  drive  off  the  water 
in  the  borax.  When  this  is  dry  a stronger 


flame  is  directed  over  the  whole  work, 
heating  it  gradually  and  evenly,  taking 
care  that  no  part  of  the  metal  except  that 
near  the  joins  gets  red  hot.  When  the 
join  has  got  thoroughly  well  heated,  a 

94 


brisker  flame  may  now  be  directed  upon  Soldering 
the  bits  of  solder.  When  using  the  blow- 
pipe be  very  careful  always  to  direct  the 
flame  toward  the  worker  and  downward,  so 
that  he  may  readily  see  the  heat  he  is 


giving  and  the  heat  the  work  requires. 
If  the  work  has  been  brought  up  to  the 
proper  heat,  the  solder  will  immediately 
flush  and  run  along  the  joint,  filling  it  in 
every  part.  Wherever  a portion  of  the 
metal  has  been  allowed  to  grow  cooler 

95 


Soldering  tlian  the  surrounding  parts,  the  joint  there 
will  be  imperfect,  and  the  work  must  be 
cooled,  the  metal  cleaned  by  being  dipped 
into  pickle — which  is  a mixture  of  one  part 
hydrochloric  acid  and  ten  parts  water ; a 
stronger  solution  much  used  is  half  and 
half  of  each — and  then  the  operation  begun 
again  until  all  the  joints  are  full. 

Soldering  can  be  done  either  with  the 
gas  flame  and  mouth  blowpipe,  with  the 


foot-bellows  and  hand  blowpipe,  with  an 
oil  lamp  or  a spirit  lamp,  or,  as  almost 
all  old  work  was  done,  on  a charcoal  fire, 
with  fans  and  small  bellows. 

The  spirit  lamp  (fig.  40A)  and  the  oil 
lamp  (fig.  40B),  with  the  mouth  blowpipe 
(fig.  40c),  generally  are  only  suitable  for 
small  work,  as  the  amount  of  heat  required 
for  work  of  any  size  is  very  great.  But  a 


very  great  deal  of  work  can  be  done  with 
the  spirit  or  oil  lamp.  Both  are  very  easy 
to  manage,  only  in  the  case  of  the  oil 
lamp  more  care  is  needed  to  keep  a good 
flame  and  to  avoid  smoking  the  work. 
It  is  most  important  to  acquire  freedom 
in  the  use  of  the  blowpipe,  and  to  this 
end  the  student  should  practise  with  two 
sizes  of  blowpipe — one  for  large  and  one 
for  small  work. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Settings — The  Kinds  of  Stones  to  use — Close  Settings 
— Setting  the  Stone — Open  Settings — Paved 
Settings 

In  choosing  stones  to  set,  avoid  those  that 
are  cut  into  facets.  Select  those  that 
are  rounded  or  cabochon  cut ; if  you  can 
do  so,  use  stones  that  are  cut  by  Eastern 
lapidaries.  The  Oriental  has  an  eye  for 
color  and  form,  and  has  no  foolish  fears 
of  so-called  flaws.  The  stones  rejected 
by  the  jeweler  are  almost  always  well 
worth  the  attention  of  the  artist.  See 
that  those  you  buy  have  a fairly  level  bed 
for  the  setting,  and  that  the  stone  is  well 
beveled,  so  that  the  setting  will  hold 
7 97 


Soldering 


Settings 


Settings 


when  it  is  rubbed  over.  Settings  may  be 
open  or  closed.  The  closed  setting  is 
a box,  the  upper  edge  of  which  is  rubbed 
over  the  stone.  The  open  setting  may  be 
a mere  rim  without  a bottom,  or  a circlet 
of  claws.  Or  the  two  may  be  combined, 
and  a close  setting  set  in  a large  open-work 
setting  of  branches  and  leaves,  as  in  early 
French  or  German  work. 

In  incrusted  work  the  stones  are  let 
into  recesses  carved  out  below  the  surface 
of  the  metal.  The  edges  of  the  opening 
are  then  drawn  up  to  the  stone  by  careful 
work  with  punch  and  burnishers.  This 
method  is  common  in  Indian  and  Persian 
work. 

To  Make  a Close  Setting. — Gut  a band  of 
silver,  size  5 or  6 metal  gage,  somewhat 

wider  than  the 
intendedheight 
of  the  setting, 
to  allow  for 
filing  level  and 
rubbing  over, 
bend  the  strip 
round  so  that  it  fits  closely  over  the  stone 
(fig.  41).  When  you  have  fitted  the  band 
closely  to  the  contour  of  the  stone,  cut  off 
the  superfluous  metal,  file  the  juxtaposed 

98 


1 — ~~  t 

mi  v 

Fig. 


ends  true,  tie  the  setting  round  with  fine  Settings 
binding-wire  so  that  the  ends  meet  (fig. 

4 1 a)  ; take  the  borax  brush 
and  paint  the  joint,  cut  a 
paillon  of  solder,  dip  it 
in  the  borax,  and  lay  it 
on  the  joint.  Then  put  the  setting  thus 
charged  on  the  wire  mop  or  on  a piece 
of  charcoal,  warm  it  in  the  flame,  and 
when  the  borax  has  ceased  boiling  direct 


Fig.  4 i a. 


Fig.  42. 


the  tip  of  the  blue  flame  on  the  joint 
and  the  setting.  The  solder  should  run 
almost  immediately.  If  it  has  flushed 

99 


Settings  the  joint,  the  setting  may  be  cooled  and 
made  true  by  tapping  it  round  with  a 
light  hammer  on  a taper  steel  mandrel 
(fig.  42) — an  old  steel  cotton-spindle  makes 
an  excellent  mandrel- — and  the  bottom  edge 
filed  fiat.  Then  take  a piece  of  silver,  6 
or  8,  according  to  the  use  to  which  you 
intend  to  put  the  setting,  and  a little 
larger  all  round  than  it,  scrape  the  surface 
clean,  tie  the  setting  on  with  binding-wire 
(fig.  43),  and  anoint  the  surfaces  to  be 

joined  as  before,  and 
set  a few  paillons 
round  the  joint  and 
proceed  as  before. 
When  the  joint  is 
complete,  file  off  the 
superfluous  metal,  and  you  will  have  a 
box  which  just  takes  the  stone.  This, 
if  the  work  is  properly  done,  gives  the 
simplest  form  of  setting.  If  desired,  a 
bearing  for  the  stone  can  be  made  by 
fitting  a concentric  but  narrower  band 
inside  this.  The  stone  is  now  supported 
all  round,  and  the  work  of  rubbing  over 
is  made  much  easier.  The  edges  of  the 
setting  are  then  filed  true,  the  superfluous 
metal  at  the  base  cut  away,  and  the  whole 
made  clean  and  workmanlike.  Settings 
100 


Fig.  43. 


can  be  grouped  together  and  united  by 
filigree-work  to  form  brooches,  clasps, 
necklaces ; but  this  will  be  described  in 
a later  chapter. 

Open  settings,  collets,  or  crown  settings, 
are  made  by  taking  a strip  of  thick  metal 
(io  gage),  bending  it  a little  smaller  than 
the  stone,  and  soldering  as  before,,  Then 
take  a sharp  graving-tool,  wet  the  point, 
and  cut  away  the  metal  inside  the  top 


edge  so  as  to  leave  the  ledge  about  a six- 
teenth down  in  which  the  stone  must  fit 
(fig.  44).  Then  take  a small  file  and  form 
the  setting  into  leaves  or  claws,  or  what- 
ever you  wish,  taking  care  first  to  block 
out  the  main  forms,  always  remembering 
to  leave  enough  metal  at  the  top  to  hold 
the  stone.  The  outer  surface  of  the  claws, 
or  leaves  may  be  carved  with  the  round 
gravers  to  whatever  shape  is  desired  (fig. 
45).  Or  the  drill  may  be  used  to  produce 

101 


Settings 


/ 


Settings  perforated  patterns  below  the  line  of  the 
base  of  the  stone ; in  fact,  there  is  no  end 
to  the  variety  of  forms  which  may  be  pro- 


Fig.  45. 


duced  in  this  way.  The  main  thing  is  to 
secure  the  stone  firmly  in  its  place ; unless 
this  is  done  in  the  first  shaping  of  the 
setting,  it  can  not  be  done  properly  after- 
ward. 

Paved  Settings . — These  are  settings 
scorpered  out  of  the  solid  metal.  The 
method  is  one  which  has 
been  much  abused,  but 
is  yet  capable  of  much 
beauty  when  properly 
applied.  The  outline 
of  the  stone  is  marked 
on  the  plate,  the  ground 
is  then  carefully  cut 
away  with  the  scorper 
until  the  stone  just  fits 
in  its  place  (fig.  46).  You  then  cut  a 
border  round  the  stone,  sloping  away  out- 
102 


Fig.  46. 


ward  as  wide  as  you  wish,  keeping  this  Settings 
border  highest  next  the  stone.  When 
the  remainder  of  the 
work  is  finished, 
cleaned,  and  stoned 
and  polished,  the 

gem  is  put  in  its  place,  and  held  there 
while  the  metal  is  burnished  up  against  it 
(fig.  47).  This  work  requires  great  care 
and  patience,  for  if  not  properly  done  the 
stone  will  ouickly  become  loose.  This 
method  can  only  be  applied  to  the  harder 


Fig.  49. 

stones.  Figs.  48  and  49  show  a paved 
setting  used  in  the  center  of  a ring,  with 
tiny  pierced  fleurs-de-lis  in  the  angles. 


Fig.  48. 


Fig.  47. 


103 


CHAPTER  XIII 


Rings — Hoop  Rings — Making  Compound  Wire — 
The  Knot  Ring — Polishing — The  Wreath — The 
Filigree  Table  Ring — Another  Form — The 
Carved  Ring — The  Design  of  Rings 

The  simplest  form  is  a hoop  of  flat- 
tened wire  or  a band  of  metal  coiled 
round  a mandrel  and  soldered.  This 
is  the  foundation  of  more  elaborate 
forms. 

A pleasant-looking  ring  may  be  made 
as  follows.  Take  a piece  of  half-round 


Fig.  50. 


silver  wire  about  -jigth  inch  wide,  solder 
two  fine  wires  lengthwise  down  each  side 
of  it,  then  weave  this  into  a knot  leaving 
an  opening  in  the  center  (fig.  50).  At 
every  one  of  the  crossings  of  the  knot 
solder  a tiny  bead  of  silver  made  by 
104 


cutting  off  snippets  of  metal  and  running 
them  up  into  beads  on  a piece  of  char- 
coal ; then  take  a small  stone,  a garnet 
or  an  opal  or  a chrysoprase,  and  set  it 
in  a close  setting.  Fit  the  setting  inside 
the  opening  in  the  knot  (fig.  51),  and 
solder  it  there,  taking  care  to  leave  room 
for  rubbing  the  setting  over  the  stone. 
Then  make  the  band  of  the  same  com- 
pound wire,  and  solder  two  V-shaped 
bands  to  it  as  wide  apart  as  the  width 
of  the  knot ; then 
solder  the  knot  in 
between  these,  ar- 
ranging the  arms 
of  the  V’s  so  that 
they  run  in  with 
the  lines  of  the 
knots  ; cover  the  joints  with  beads,  either 
single  or  grouped  three,  four,  or  five  to- 
gether, or  with  single  beads  flattened  out 
on  the  stake,  then  pickle  the  ring,  stone 
it  with  small  bits  of  Water  of  Ayr  stone, 
or  slips  of  slate,  or  with  pointed  slips  of 
boxwood  dipped  in  pumice  powder  and 
oil.  Then  polish  it  on  the  lathe  with  the 
scratch  brush,  and  after  setting  the  stone 
finish  on  the  buff  with  rouge. 

You  can  vary  this  pattern  to  almost 

10  5 


Rings  any  extent  by  using  different  sections 
of  wire  and  different  arrangements  of  the 
knots  and  beads;  e.g.,  the  central  wire 
instead  of  being  round  can  be  flat  with 
hollow  notches  filed  out  of  each  side  be- 
fore the  side  wires  are  soldered  to  it.  The 
knot  can  be  made  more  complete  by  inter- 
lacing thinner  wires  in  and  out  of  the 
others,  or  you  can  add  twigs  and  leaves  in 
the  interspaces. 


To  Make  Leaves. — Take  a wire  of  the 
thickness  you  require  the  twig  to  be, 
heat  the  end  in  the  blowpipe  flame, 
plunge  it  in  the  borax,  then  direct  the 
blue  flame  on  the  tip.  The  wire  will 
quickly  melt  and  run  up  into  a bead 
(fig.  52).  As  soon  as  the  bead  forms, 
plunge  the  wire  into  water,  and  after 
flattening  on  the  stake  you  can  file  it 
into  whatever  shape  you  please.  Groups 
106 


of  three  or  five  of  these  soldered  together  Rings 
and  the  leaves  joined  at  the  tips  by  tiny 
beads  look  very  well  (fig.  52)  when  com- 
bined with  knot  work  of  flat  wire. 

Another  form  of  ring  is  the  filigree 
table  ring  (fig.  53).  Take  any  small 
irregular  stone  and  make  a setting.  Take 
filigree  wire,  or  fine 
twistedwireflattened 
in  the  rollers  (see  fig. 

55)  will  do  as  well, 
twist  up  the  wire  in- 
to a simple  wreathed 
symmetrical  pattern. 

Then  take  a piece 
of  modeling  wax — - 
not  modeling  paste, 
that  corrodes  the 
silver — fix  the  set- 
ting upright  in  it  and 

arrange  the  wire  wreath  round  it.  Have 
ready  some  flattened  beads,  group  them 
into  simple  patterns  with  the  wreath  (see 
fig.),  and  press  ever  so  lightly  into  the 
wax.  (Fig.  54  shows  another  form  of  table 
filigree  with  a pearl  center.)  Then  mix 
a small  quantity  of  fine  plaster  of  Paris 
and  place  a good  body  of  it  over  the 
whole  group  ; leave  it  to  set  and  when 

107 


Rings  quite  dry  and  hard  remove  the  wax  care- 
fully. The  silver  will  be  found  fixed 
in  the  plaster.  Remove  the  plaster  with 
a brush  from  between  the  joints  and 
around  the  setting,  but  do  this  without 
disturbing  the  pattern  in  any  way.  Dry 
the  plaster  thoroughly  in  an  oven  or  by 
the  fire,  then  paint  borax  on  the  setting 

and  over  the  cross- 
ings of  the  wire,  and 
everywhere  you  wish 
to  solder.  Put  pail- 
lons  in  the  necessary 
places  and  play  the 
flame  over  the  whole 
gradually  so  that  any 
chance  moisture  may 
be  driven  off.  If 
this  is  done  too 
suddenly  the  plaster 
may  fly  into  pieces. 
You  will  then  direct  the  flame  on  the  setting 
and  the  wreath  until  the  solder  has  run 
everywhere.  Then  turn  up  a ring  out 
of  a strip  of  silver  and  solder  it.  Take 
a coil  of  wire  twisted  from  right  to  left 
and  another  twisted  fro’m  left  to  right 
and  a length  of  plain  wire  a size  or  two 
larger.  Boil  out  the  band  in  dilute  acid, 
108 


Fig.  54. 


coil  the  plain  wire  round  the  middle 
of  the  band  and  solder  it,  coil  the  twisted 
wires  on  either  side  of  it  and  solder 
them,  using  very  small  paillons  of  solder, 
as  if  much  is  used  the  coils  of  twist  will 
be  filled  up.  When  the  bare  ring  is 
finished  thus  far,  boil  it  out,  clean  it 
in  a little  pickle,  also  the  setting  and 
the  filigree.  Take  a piece  of  flatted  wire 
— twisted  wire  or  ordinary  round  wire 
passed  once  or  twice  through  the  rollers 
(fig.  55) — and  bend  it  to  the  outline  of 
the  table  of  filigree,  and  after  tying  it 
on  with  fine  wire, 
solder  it  to  the  edge 
to  give  strength.  Fig. 

Then  tie  this  table 

to  the  ring  with  wire  and  solder  the  two 
together,  and  arrange  branch  pieces  of 
flatted  wire  or  double  rows  of  twist  wire, 
so  as  to  strengthen  the  junction  of  the 
ring  with  the  table  (fig.  53).  These 
branch  pieces  will  go  from  side  to  side 
of  the  ring  behind  the  filigree,  and  their 
junction  with  the  ring  should  be  covered 
with  a shield  cut  out  of  thin  metal,  or  a 
flatted  bead,  or  a knot  of  twist  wire,  or  a 
group  of  grains  like  a flower.  The  main 
thing  is  that  the  joint  must  be  covered. 

109 


Rings 


Rings  The  junction  of  the  branch  pieces  with  the 
table  of  filigree  will  then  be  strengthened 
by  round  grains  soldered  in.  It  is  im- 
portant to  remember  in  all  ring  designs 
that  there  must  be  no  spiky  projections ; 
all  must  be  rounded  and  smooth,  and 
pleasant  to  the  touch.  As  the  field  for 
the  display  of  workmanship  is  only  the 
upper  area  of  the  first  joint  of  the  finger, 
all  ornament  should  be  confined  mainly 
to  that  space.  Many  things  look  well  in 

a sketch  which 
look  ridiculous 
on  the  finger. 
It  is  best  there- 
fore to  build 
Fig-  up  the  effect  on 

the  ring  itself,  using  a little  hard  wax 
to  hold  the  pieces  of  silver  and  whatever 
stones  you  may  use  together.  You  will 
soon  find  out  what  effect  is  best  if 
you  remember  that  every  design  must 
have  three  principal  features — the  ring 
proper,  the  junction,  and  the  bezel. 
Many  old  rings  were  carved  out  of  the 
solid  metal  (fig.  56).  To  make  a ring 
of  this  kind,  you  will  first  cast  an  ingot 
of  the  shape  you  require  (fig.  57),  or 
hammer  a cast  bar  into  the  rough  form  ; 
1 10 


then  anneal  the  metal,  and  put  it  on  the 
pitch.  Then  sketch  on  the  design  in  black 
water-color  with  a brush,  and  have  ready 
a few  chisels  of  various  sizes  made  by 
sharpening  a few  tracers  on  an  oilstone. 
Outline  the  ornament  or  the  figure  with 
a small  round-edged  tracing-tool,  and 
afterward  cut  away  the  groundwork  with 
a rounded  chisel.  Then,  with  ordinary 
chasing  tools,  you  can  model  the  surface 
of  the  leaves  and  twigs  or  the  figure  as 


much  as  you  please.  Remember  always 
to  have  a bit  of  the  natural  foliage  near 
you  as  a guide ; never  do  anything  in 
the  way  of  ornament  without  reference  to 
nature  or  without  having  made  a careful 
detailed  study  of  the  plant  or  form  you 
intend  to  use.  You  will  have  quite 
enough  to  do  to  overcome  the  technical 
difficulties  without  having  also  to  puzzle 
your  head  over  the  form. 

This  is  a rule  which  should  never  be 
neglected  ; you  must  learn  the  form  before 

in 


Rings 


Rings  you  can  use  it.  Avoid  sprawling  lines  ; 
let  leaves  and  twigs  be  well  knit  together, 
let  all  the  lines  lead  the  eye  to  some  central 
point.  You  must  not  imitate  but  translate. 
All  art  is  translation  from  one  state  into 
another,  and  the  manner  of  the  translation 
reveals  the  quality  of  the  artist. 

When  you  have  modeled  the  wreath  or 
the  knot  as  much  as  you  wish,  you  can 
then  carve  the  remainder  of  the  band  with 
a running  wreath  or  a chevron,  or  with  a 
graver  hollow  out  symmetrical  cuts  all 
round  the  band.  File  and  scrape  the  in- 
side smooth  ; polish  with  a ringstick,  which 
is  a taper  rod  of  wood  covered  with  chamois 
leather,  and  charged  with  rouge. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Necklaces — How  Designed — The  Arrangement  of 
Stones  — Chain-making  — Filigree  Mounts  for 
Pearls — -Backing  the  Pearls — Woven  Links — 
The  Snap — Polishing — Another  Form  of  Neck- 
lace— What  to  Study — How  to  Use  your  Studies 
— Pendants — Suggestions  for  Design — Loop  for 
the  Pendant — Cleaning  and  Polishing 

Necklaces  Necklaces  should  be  designed  on  a circle 
of  4^-in.  diameter,  and  all  pendants  should 
I 12 


be  arranged  on  radial  lines.  No  pendants  Necklaces 
should  go  beyond  the  semicircle  or  they 
will  hang  awkwardly  on  the  shoulder  when 
worn. 

Cut  a circle  out  of  thin  copper  or  brass 
\\  in.  in  diameter.  Have  ready  the  stones 
you  desire  to  use,  and  some  flattened  wire 
or  rolled  twist.  Make  a few  flattened 
beads,  and  then  sketch  out  the  design 
which  suggests  itself  when  you  have  ar- 
ranged the  stones  according  to  their  pre- 
ciousness and  color.  You  will  find  that 
the  mere  symmetrical  arrangement  of  the 
stones  round  the  circle  will  suggest  almost 
instantly  any  number  of  methods  of  treat- 
ment. Choose  what  seems  the  simplest, 
and  twist  up  your  wire  to  form  knots  or 
wreaths  round  the  stones  (fig.  58),  and 
then  arrange  for  the  chains  and  loops 
which  will  be  needed  to  link  all  up  to- 
gether. 

Avoid  the  use  of  shop-made  chains ; 
they  spoil  the  effect  of  the  most  carefully 
devised  necklace.  The  only  chain  possible 
to  use  is  that  called  Venetian  chain,  but 
even  that  is  not  quite  satisfactory.  The 
way  to  secure  a good  effect  of  chain-work 
is  to  coil  up  the  links  yourself.  This  is. 
best  done  by  taking  a piece  of  flattened 

8 1 13 


Necklaces 


114 


Fig.  58. 


wire,  oblong  in  section,  with  the  edges  Necklaces 
rounded  off  with  the  file.  This  is  to 
serve  as  the  mandrel,  and  its  size  is  regu- 
lated by  the  size  of  the  links  you  desire. 

Wrap  a strip  of  thin  paper  spirally  round 
the  mandrel,  and  secure  it  at  each  end  with 
a few  turns  of  binding-wire.  Then  take 
the  wire,  which  may  be  simple  or  compound 
as  described  for  rings,  and  fix  the  mandrel 


Fig.  59. 


in  a bench  vise  if  the  wire  to  be  coiled  is 
thick,  or  in  a hand-vise  if  it  be  thin.  Coil 
the  wire  spirally  round  the  mandrel  very 
closely  and  regularly  until  you  have  used 
as  much  wire  as  you  require  (fig.  59). 
Heat  the  whole  with  the  blowpipe  on 
the  mop  until  the  paper  is  charred  away. 
You  can  now  withdraw  the  mandrel  from 
the  coil,  which  would  be  impossible  were 


Necklaces  the  paper  not  used.  With  a jeweler’s  fret- 
saw cut  off  the  links  lengthwise  down 
the  spiral,  keeping  this  cut  as  clean  as 
possible.  You  can  then  coil  on  another 
mandrel  of  different,  e.g.  circular,  section 
and  slightly  larger,  another  kind  of  wire, 
simple  or  compound,  as  may  be  necessary 


Fig.  6o. 


to  give  contrast  to  the  first  series,  and 
saw  these  apart  in  like  manner.  You 
will  then  loop  the  two  together  in  such 
lengths  as  you  may  need  for  connecting 
the  various  features  of  the  necklace 
(fig.  62) ; and  you  must  solder  each  link 
separately  on  the  mop,  taking  care  by 
1 16 


using  a small  blowpipe  and  a small  flame  Necklaces 
to  confine  the  heat  to  the  link  you  are 
soldering. 

A pleasant  effect  can 
be  produced  by  setting 
rough  pearls  or  stones  in 
a background  of  wire 
filigree  (see  fig.  60)  or 
wreath -work  of  leaves  Fig.  6i. 
and  twigs  (figs.  61  and 
6 1 a).  It  must  be  made  as  follows:- — 

Take  the  stones  you  have  selected,  make 
either  close  or  open  settings,  whichever 
you  prefer,  and  set  them  round  the 
metal  circle.  If  you  choose  rough  pearls 
or  pearl  blisters,  take  small  pieces  of 
silver,  size  5 or  6,  and 
dome  them  up  with  a 
rounded  doming-punch, 
either  on  the  lead-block 
or  on  the  doming-block, 
to  fit  the  backs  of  the 
pearls.  I f the  pearls  are  ir- 
regular in  shape, you  must 
pi  shape  the  metal  backs 

with  rounded  punches  on 
lead.  Having  fitted  each  pearl  with  a 
back,  you  can  either  file  away  the  back 
until  it  can  hardly  be  seen  from  the  front, 

117 


Necklaces  or  you  can  keep  the  edge  well  to  the 
front  and  file  it  into  symmetrical  shapes, 
or  you  can  border  it  with  twisted  wire  or 


Fig.  62. 


with  wire  bent  into  a rippled  shape  (see 
fig.  63)  and  soldered.  Having  made  the 
backs  for  the  pearls  or  the  settings  for 
the  stones,  arrange  them  round  the  metal 
circle- — naturally  keeping  the  best  and 
largest  stone  or  pearl  for  the  center. 
Bend  up  some  flattened  wire  into  woven 
knots,  as  shown  in  the  diagram,  and  solder 
the  cups  or  settings  on  the  wreath.  Then 
make  long  interwoven  loops  of  wire  with 
circles  or  squares  or  groups  of  beads  sol- 
dered at  the  crossings  (fig.  64).  This  is  not 
only  to  strengthen  the  work,  but  to  give  the 

necessary  con- 
trast of  broad, 
simple  sur- 
faces, with  the 
wreathing  lines  of  the  loops  and  back- 
grounds of  the  stones  or  pearls.  Then 
make  oval  links,  as  described  above,  and 
loop  the  links  all  together. 

118 


You  will  need  a pendant  for  the  center.  Necklaces 
This  can  either  be  made  out  of  a group 
of  pearls  or  stones  with  a tiny  panel  of 
repousse  or  enamel  in  the  center,  or  it  may 
be  a small  group  of  figure-work,  if  the 
student  is  advanced  enough  to  do  this. 

You  will  now  make  the  chain.  This 
should  consist  of  links,  repeating  the 
forms  of  the  links  in  the  central  portion ; 
these  will  afterward  be  joined  together 
by  small  subsidiary  links.  A very  pretty 


Fig.  64. 


link  is  made  with  groups  of  grains  or 
beads  soldered  on  both  sides  of  the  link 
(see  fig.  66).  These,  alternately  with  loops 
coiled  up  out  of  flattened  wire,  look  very 
sparkling  and  pleasant  when  polished. 
These  grained  loops  must  be  so  arranged 
that  the  points  are  not  likely  to  stick  into 
the  skin  or  to  scratch  when  the  necklace 
is  worn.  They  must  all  lie  flat,  and  the 
connecting  loops  must  be  smooth.  The 
catch  must  next  be  made.  Take  a piece 

ll9 


Necklaces  of  brass  wire  4 or  5 inches  long,  oblong  in 


Fig.  65. 

120 


section  -g-  in.  broad, 
file  the  angles  until 
it  is  nearly  oval  in 
section,  or  you  may 
pass  a piece  of 
round  wire  through 
the  rolling-mill. 
This  is  to  serve  as 
the  mandrel  (fig. 
65).  Bend  a slip 
of  No.  5 metal  \ 
inch  wide,  so  that 
it  fits  round  the 
mandrel  closely, 
and  solder  the  join. 
On  one  end  you 
will  solder  a bit  of 
the  same  size  metal 
and  a ring  on  the 
center  of  this ; at 
the  other  end  you 
will  file  a notch 
half-way  across  the 
tube,  and  in  this 
notch  solder  a nar- 
row strip  of  silver, 
leaving  a slot  be- 
tween the  tube  and 


the  edge  of  the  strip  ; this  is  to  take  the  Necklaces 

tongue  of  the  catch.  In  the  center  of  the 

strip  you  will  file  out  a notch  dividing  it 

entirely,  and  also  the  end  of  the  tube  for 

about  4-th  of  an  inch.  Then  take  a slip  of 

silver  as  wide  as  the  tube  and  half  as  thick, 

solder  a plate  of  No.  5 metal  at  right 

angles  on  the  end,  then  take  another  slip 

the  same  width  as  the  first,  and  solder  the 

two  together  at  the  opposite  end  to  the 

right-angled  plate.  This  is  the  tongue  of 

the  catch,  and  you  must  leave  a space 

between  the  end  plate  and  the  end  of 

this  last  slip  or  tongue,  so  that  when  it 

is  pushed  into  its  place  the  tongue  may 

spring  up  and  catch  behind  the  slotted 

end  plate  of  the  body  of  the  catch.  A 

tiny  slip  of  silver  is  now  prepared  which 

will  just  fit  in  the  slot  already  filed  in  the 

body  of  the  snap  ; this  must  be  soldered 

on  the  end  of  the  tongue.  Now  try  if 

it  will  fit  the  catch,  and  if  not,  file  the 

sides  of  the  slot  neatly  and  truly  until 

the  tongue  slips  in  quite  easily  and  springs 

up  and  holds  the  catch  in  its  place  and 

does  not  wriggle  about.  You  will  then  file 

it  up  true  and  clean  when,  having  linked 

one  part  on  each  end  of  the  necklace  and 

soldered  the  joins  the  whole  is  complete. 

121 


Necklaces  You  will  then  boil  out  the  whole  necklace  in 
dilute  acid  until  it  comes  out  quite  white. 
Afterward  polish  the  silver-work  with  the 
scratch-brush5  using  a little  stale  beer  as 
a lubricant.  Next  wash  it  out  in  warm 
water,  set  the  stones,  and  rub  the  settings 
over  with  the  burnisher.  At  the  same 
time  you  may  burnish  bits  of  the  orna- 
ment, the  loops,  and  particularly  the  flat- 
tened beads.  Then  repolish  the  whole 
with  rouge  to  a brilliant  surface. 

You  may  wish  to  make  a necklace  en- 
tirely of  silver.  We  will  suppose  it  is  to  be 
a garland  of  roses.  Now,  for  metal-work, 
it  is  important  that  all  the  natural  forms 
you  employ  should  be  generalized  ; that  is 
to  say,  while  you  can  not  study  too  closely 
the  method  of  growth  and  the  characteristic 
shapes  of  the  leaves,  buds,  flowers,  and  fruit, 
you  must  avoid  slavish  imitation  of  acci- 
dental forms  or  the  minute  details  of  the 
growth.  In  your  studies  be  as  minute  as 
. you  please,  you  can  not  be  too  painstaking ; 

put  in  everything  you  see.  But  when  you 
translate  these  studies  into  work,  learn  to 
leave  out.  The  artist  is  known  as  much  by 
what  he  omits  as  by  what  he  puts  in  his  work. 
He  seeks  forms  typical  of  his  subject  and 
yet  suitable  to  his  material. 

122 


Now,  for  our  immediate  purpose  a rose- 
bush is  an  assemblage  of  more  or  less  sym- 
metrically arranged  masses  of  leaves,  each 
leaf  being  a symmetrical  group  of  five 
subsidiary  leaves.  Relieved  against  this 
mass  of  leaves  we  have  large  and  small 
bossy  forms,  the  roses  and  the  buds.  For 
our  necklace  the  simplest  way  is  to  arrange 
the  rose  boughs  in  a series  of  panels  of 
pierced  repousse,  alter- 
nately square  and  round- 
ish (figs.  66  and  67),  the 
panels  afterward  con- 
nected by  loops  andbeads. 

In  these  panels  the  roses 
and  buds  will  be  in  high 
relief,  the  leaves  and 
branches  in  lower  and 
flatter  relief,  so  that  when 
the  whole  is  polished  the 
roses  and  buds  will  shine 
out  brilliantly  as  jewels. 

Take  your  circle,  as  before,  and  lay  it  on  a 
bit  of  paper  or  on  a sheet  of  wax  rolled  out. 
See  how  large  you  can  make  the  panels,  and 
how  many  you  may  require.  Take  a piece 
of  silver,  size  8,  and  outline  the  shapes  of 
the  panels,  and  sketch  on  it  the  main 
branches  and  mark  the  position  of  the 

123 


Necklaces 


Necklaces  bosses  of  roses.  Lay  the  metal  face  down 
on  a thick  piece  of  cork  or  cork-matting 
and  punch  out  these  roses  from  the  back, 
and  then  punch  out  the  smaller  group  of 
buds,  distributing  them  carefully  so  as  to 
get  a sparkling  effect.  Then,  after  heating 
the  pitch,  lay  the  metal  down  after  oiling 
the  under  surface.  You  will  now  outline 
the  leaves  and  branches,  keeping  the 
arrangement  as  symmetrical  and  as  simple 
as  possible.  Avoid  curly 
leaves,  coiling  branches, 
wormlike  roots,  and 
squirming  forms.  Keep 
the  drawing  of  the  leaves 
clear  and  accurate  and 
decided.  When  you 
have  done  this,  then  out- 
line the  roses  and  draw 
the  petals  on  the  bosses, 
either  open  or  partly 
closed.  Then  with  a sharp  tracer  outline 
the  spaces  to  be  pierced,  which  will  probably 
be  the  whole  of  the  ground,  and  then 
when  you  have  done  all  you  can  to  the 
repousse,  take  the  silver  off  the  pitch,  clean 
it  and  pickle  it.  Then  lay  each  panel  on 
its  face  and  file  away  the  ridges  made  by 
the  outlining  tracer,  and  soon  the  tiny 
124 


scraps  of  the  ground  will  drop  out  and  Necklaces 
the  ornament  will  show  clear  against  the 
light.  Next  take  a piece  of  silver  for  the 
back  of  the  panel,  size  4 or  5,  a little  larger 
all  round  than  your  panel,  dome  it  up  very 
slightly  so  that  it  may  press  against  the 
backs  of  the  twigs  and  leaves.  When  it 
fits  scrape  the  surface  all  over  and  tie  the 
two  securely  together  ; use  plenty  of  borax 
between  the  ioints,  tack  the  back  and 
front  together  in  two  or  three  places  round 
the  edge  and  in  the  center.  When  the 
solder  has  run,  press  the  joints  closely  to- 
gether wherever  the  metal  has  been  warped 
by  the  heat,  or  wherever  the  joint  may  have 
been  imperfectly  fitted  or  secured.  Then 
clean  the  whole  in  acid  and  recharge  with 
borax  and  with  enough  but  not  too  much 
solder,  and  see  that  the  solder  flushes 
well  under  and  into  all  the  joins.  You 
can  then  pierce  the  ground  out  with  a 
drill  and  fret-saw.  Do  not  saw  too  closely 
to  the  ornament,  leave  a narrow  fillet  to 
be  filed  away  afterward,  and  before  cut- 
ting away  the  waste  metal  round  the  edge 
coil  up  some  rings  out  of  14  wire  and 
solder  them  on  the  back  plate  in  con- 
tact with  the  panel  where  they  are  re- 
quired. If  these  rings  are  simply  soldered 

125 


Necklaces 


against  the  panel  they  are  apt  to  pull  off 
after  a certain  amount  of  wear.  To  loop 
these  panels  up  together,  you  will  require 
loops  or  links  which  carry  out  the  design 
of  the  main  panels.  These  may  be  either 
roses  with  a few  leaves,  or  boughs  twined 
up  into  closely  knit  bosses. 

When  the  circlet  is  completed,  you  will 
make  the  catch,  and  the  whole,  after  pick- 
ling, will  be  ready 
to  be  stoned  and 
polished.  If  you 
wish  to  make  a 
pendant  for  this 
necklace,  it  must 
not  merely  be  an 
elaborated  panel, 
but  should  have 
somecentralpoint 
of  interest.  You 
may  either  read 
“ The  Romaunt 
of  the  Rose  ” and 
take  thence  what- 
ever suggestion  most  appeals  to  you,  or 
you  may  prefer  to  put  a nightingale  singing 
in  the  middle  of  a bower  of  leaves  (fig.  68). 
The  latter  will  be  the  least  difficult,  as  the 
former  supposes  a knowledge  of  the  figure, 
126 


though  you  might  make  a little  gateway 
with  towers  to  the  garde*n  of  the  Rose, 
which  could  be  made  very  interesting. 

To  Make  the  Nightingale. — First  go  and 
watch  one  singing.  There  are  happily 
numberless  woods  and  copses  near  London 
in  which  the  nightingale  may  be  heard  and 
seen  at  almost  any  time  of  the  day.  Take 
an  opera-glass  and  find  the  spot  most  fre- 
quented by  the  birds  and  least  frequented 
by  humans ; sit  motionless  and  watch 
them  while  they  sing.  If  you  have  not 
seen  one  before,  you  will  never  forget  the 
first  sight  of  the  little  brown-backed,  gray- 
breasted bird  against  the  sky  and  leaves, 
with  head  thrown  back  and  his  throat 
throbbing  in  an  ecstasy  of  song.  Make 
as  many  sketches  as  you  can,  and  when 
you  get  home  take  a piece  of  silver,  size  8 
— of  fine  silver  if  you  are  going  to  enamel, 
or  standard  if  left  from  the  tool,  and  it 
must  be  a good  deal  larger  than  the  size 
you  propose  to  make  the  bird — anneal 
it,  sketch  the  outline  the  reverse  way,  and 
with  a rounded  doming-punch  boss  out 
the  metal  as  much  as  you  can  on  the  cork 
pad.  Then  fasten  the  same  domed  punch 
in  the  vise,  and  after  again  annealing, 
take  a boxwood  or  horn  mallet  and  beat 

127 


Necklaces 


Necklaces  the  metal  still  further  round,  until  the 
rough  relief  is  "'as  high  as  the  thickness 
through  the  body  of  the  bird.  Reanneal 
the  metal,  lay  it  on  the  pitch,  and  shape 
the  bird  carefully  with  chasing  and  re- 
pousse tools,  driving  the  metal  gradually 
round  behind  the  back  of  the  bird,  taking 
care  that  you  do  not  crack  it  in  the  proc- 
ess. You  will  find  it  possible  to  get  the 
body  quite  in  the  round  save  for  a narrow 
opening  at  the  back.  When  you  have 
modeled  the  surface  as  you  wish,  cut 
away  the  ground  and  solder  a piece  of 
metal  over  the  opening,  taking  care,  if 
there  be  no  other  escape  for  the  air,  to 
drill  a small  hole  where  it  will  least  be 
seen.  Then  you  will  take  another  piece 
of  metal,  size  6,  or  a little  less,  and  make 
the  bower  of  leaves  or  branches  within 
which  the  bird  is  to  be  set.  You  must 
keep  it  wreath-like  and  clear  and  simple 
in  outline  without  any  spikiness  or  too 
great  irregularity  of  surface.  It  should 
be  made  double,  the  pattern  on  the  back 
being  developed  from  that  on  the  face. 
The  two  can  then  be  filed  and  fitted  to- 
gether, and  pickled  and  soldered. 

When  the  wreath  is  complete  you  can 
tie  the  bird  in  its  place  and  solder  it  to  the 

128 


bough  you  have  prepared  for  it.  When  Necklaces 
the  work  is  clean  you  can  then  take  a 
rounded  graver  and  a cement-stick,  and 
after  fastening  the  bird  and  wreath  on  the 
wax,  you  can  sharpen  up  the  modeling  of 
the  leaves,  cut  away  superfluous  solder,  and 
make  the  whole  clean  and  workmanlike. 

The  wreath  can  be  hung  to  the  necklace 
by  one  or  two  chains  or  loops.  You  will 
probably  find  that  six 
loops  of  flat  wire  enriched 
with  twist  soldered  round 
alternate  links,  with  a rose 
boss  in  the  center  of  the 
six  links,  will  be  sufficient 
(fig.  69).  The  loops  must 
be  fairly  broad  and  not 
too  long,  or  the  pendant 
will  twist  about  and  will 
not  hang  truly.  Then 
loop  the  whole  necklace 
temporarily  together  to  see  the  effect.  It 
should  hang  in  one  even  curve,  and  any 
irregularity  must  be  corrected  by  lengthen- 
ing or  shortening  links  wherever  necessary. 

You  will  probably  find  that  a second  drop 
or  subordinate  pendant  is  needed  beneath 
the  bird.  Make  a pear-shaped  group  of 
leaves  and  roses  in  two  halves  (fig.  70), 

9 129 


Necklaces  solder  them  together  with  a loop  at  the 
top,  and  hang  this  by  means  of  three  or 
five  links  to  the  wreath. 

When  it  all  seems  as  complete  as  you 
can  make  it,  put  it  all  in  the  pickle  and 
leave  it  till  quite  white  and  clean.  Stone 
it  carefully  and  polish  on  the  lathe 
with  the  scratch-brush  and  stale 
beer.  Then  wash  clean  with  soap- 
suds and  hot  water,  and  dry  it  in 
the  sawdust.  It  will  look  staring 
Fig-  7°-  and  unpleasantly  white  and  bright. 
This  defect  can  be  removed  by  brushing  it 
over  with  a hot  solution  of  ammonia  sul- 
fid  in  water.  Take  care  that  it  does  not 
get  into  the  setting  or  the  effect  of  the 
stone  may  be  entirely  spoilt.  When  the 
surface  gets  as  dark  as  you  wish,  wash  it 
clean  in  hot  water,  and  polish  it  by  hand 
with  a wash-leather  and  a little  rouge. 


CHAPTER  XV 


Brooches — Suggestions  for  Design — Mounting — The 
Making  of  Compound  Twists — The  Joint  and 
Catch 

Brooches  Brooches  should  be  kept  rather  small, 
and  be  designed  on  the  same  principles  as 
130 


pendants.  The  back,  however,  should  al- 
ways be  smooth,  and  if  possible  somewhat 
concave.  We  will  suppose  you  have  a 
moonstone  which  you  wish  to  set.  Choose 
some  poetical  subject  suggested  by  the 
stone.  If  I were  doing  it  I should  prob- 
ably reason  in  this  way  “ The  moon- 
stone suggests  Diana.  Her  symbol  is  a 
stag.  The  subject  shall  be  a running  stag 
bearing  the  moon  in  his  antlers.”  But 
this  is  only  one  way  of  looking  at  the  sub- 
ject ; the  student  must  choose  his  own. 
What  is  personal  to  one  may  be  an  affecta- 
tion in  another,  and  affected  art  is  bad  art. 

Suppose,  however,  that  you  choose  to  do 
a stag.  Make  a drawing  of  a stag  running, 
or  standing  sidewise  with  his  head  thrown 
back  or  turned  toward  the  spectator. 
We  will  suppose  you  make  him  stand- 
ing with  his  head  and  antlers  thrown  back. 
You  can  either  set  the  stone  behind  the 
antlers,  like  a moon  rising  behind  trees, 
or  you  can  use  the  antlers  as  part  of  a 
setting.  Having  made  the  drawing  of 
the  stag  as  you  wish,  take  a piece  of 
silver  of  suitable  size  and  gage,  8 or  io 
if  for  high  relief,  6 or  7 if  for  lower  re- 
lief. Fit  your  design  within  some  simple 
set  form,  a circle,  an  oval,  or  square,  and 

I3I 


Brooches 


Brooches  beat  the  stag  out  in  relief.  Make  the 
setting  for  the  stone  and  fit  it  into  its 
place  carefully,  and  if  the  stone  is  to  be 
set  in  the  background,  arrange  the  horns 
so  that  they  will  take  the  setting  of  the 
stone,  and  see  that  the  stone  is  placed 
nicely  in  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  enclosing 
space.  When  the  repousse  is  done,  boil  it 
clean,  and  if  the  ground  is  to  be  pierced, 
make  a back  as  described  for  the  silver 
necklace.  If  it  is  not  pierced,  dome 
slightly  a piece  of  No.  5 silver  sufficiently 
large  to  leave  a J-inch  margin  all  round. 
After  the  back  and  front  are  tacked  to- 
gether, drill  a couple  of  small  holes,  one 
at  each  end  of  the  horizontal  diameter 
a little  within  the  places  for  the  joint  and 
catch.  This  is  to  let  the  air  escape,  other- 
wise the  imprisoned  air  expands,  and  either 
bursts  the  back  off,  or  distorts  the  front 
by  bulging  it  out  in  its  weakest  place. 

You  will  now  require  a border.  Take 
a round  wire,  size  12,  pass  it  through  the 
flattening-roller  or  hammer  it  into  a rib- 
bon, or  draw  a piece  of  round  wire  through 
a draw-plate  with  oblong  holes.  Take 
a length  of  smaller  wire,  about  4 in  the 
metal  gage,  double  it  and  twist  up  tightly 
from  right  to  left ; twist  another  piece 

132 


from  left  to  right.  Take  two  lengths  of  Brooches 
copper  wire,  the  size  of  the  silver  wire  be- 
fore it  was  flattened,  and  tie  one  on  each 
side  of  the  silver  ribbon  with  iron  binding- 
wire.  Then  fix  one  end  of  this  compound 
wire  in  the  vise  and  one  end  in  a hand- 
vise  or  a pair  of  slides,  and  twist  the  whole 
until  the  spiral  is  as  close  as  you  wish  it. 

You  can  then  remove  the  copper  wires  and 
replace  with  the  silver  twists,  and  after 
tying  them  in  their  place,  you  can  solder 
them  here  and  there,  using  small  paillons 
and  taking  care  not  to  fill  up  the  twists 
with  solder.  Now  boil,  clean,  and  solder 
it  round  your  panel  as  a frame. 

Instead  of  doing  this  you  can  make  a 
circle  of  small  stars,  either  in  repousse 
round  the  panel,  or  you  can  make  a 
number  of  groups  of  grains  and  solder 
them  round.  The  latter  has  the  more 
sparkling  effect,  but  it  takes  much  longer 
to  do.  When  the  border  is  made,  file  the 
surplus  metal  from  the  back  and  round 
the  edge,  and  it  will  be  ready  to  receive 
the  joint  or  catch.  Take  a piece  of  thick, 
half-round  wire  and  bend  it  into  the  shape 
of  a C with  a long  tail  (CL) ; then  file  the 
bottom  of  the  tail  fiat,  and  afterward 
solder  it  in  position  on  the  brooch  near, 

133 


Brooches  but  not  actually  on  the  edge.  Next  you 
must  make  the  hinge  for  the  pin.  Take 
a piece  of  fine  tube,  about  size  12  in  the 

metal  gage,  and 
solder  a short 
length,  about  -fth 
inch  long,  on  a 
slip  of  No.  5,  a 
little  larger  each 
way  (fig.  71).  Then  take  a piece  of 
stout  silver  wire  and  run  the  end  up 
into  a good-sized  bead  (fig.  72).  Flatten 
the  bead  and  file  it  into  shape  as  shown. 
Upon  the  flat  side  of  this  you  will  solder 
another  and  shorter  length  of  tube  (fig. 
73).  File  out  of  the  center  of  the  first 


Fig.  7 


Fig.  72. 


tube  a space  wide  enough  to  take  the 
tube  on  the  end  of  the  pin  (see  fig.  73A). 
When  the  two  fit  perfectly,  take  another 
piece  of  No.  5 and  solder  it  at  one  side 
134 


of  the  bottom  joint  (see  fig.  73A)  so  that  Brooches 
the  two  lengths  of  tube  are  in  the  angle 


Fig,  73. 

of  an  L.  The  last  piece  helps  to  make 
the  spring  of  the  pin.  The  flat  end  of 
the  pin  catches 
against  this  : the 
pin  being  bent 
down  under  the 
catch  is  held  in 
place  by  the  elas- 
ticity of  the  metal 
74).  Pins 

: of  9-carat  gold  are  very  much  better 
than  silver  pins,  they  are  harder,  and  have 

more  spring  in 
them.  The 
joint,  when  filed 
up  true  and 
clean,  can  be  sol- 
dered in  place. 
The  whole  can 
now  be  boiled 
out  and  scratch-brushed,  and  the  stone  set. 
If  you  have  a close  setting,  it  is  best  to 

l3S 


Fig.  74. 


Fig.  73A. 


Brooches  back  the  stone  with  a piece  of  white  foil 
to  give  it  greater  brilliancy.  Another  way 
of  setting  stones  in  the  background  of 
any  panel  is  to  beat  out  a hollow  from 
the  back  into  which  the  stone  exactly  fits. 
You  will  then  pierce  out  all  of  this  except 
a narrow  piece  just  sufficient  to  retain 
the  stone  firmly.  You  will  then  turn  up 


Fig.  75. 


a narrow  setting  of  thin  silver  and  file 
the  edge  either  wavy  or  scalloped  or  ser- 
rated, and  solder  it  in  behind  as  shown 
(fig.  75).  This  forms  a subsidiary  setting, 
136 


and  when  all  is  complete  the  stone  can  be 
dropped  into  its  place  and  a piece  of  round 
wire,  bent  to  the  curve  of  the  setting,  can 
then  be  fitted  in  behind  the  stone,  and  the 
wavy,  scalloped,  or  serrated  edges  of  the 
setting  bent  over  the  wire  and  burnished 
until  the  stone  is  set  quite  firmly.  The 
advantage  of  this  is,  that  the  work  on  the 
background  can  be  carried  round  the  set- 
ting without  any  of  the  awkward  joins 
which  are  almost  impossible  to  avoid  when 
a separate  setting  is  soldered  in  or  upon 
the  ground.  At  the  same  time  you  must 
not  make  the  work  look  as  if  a hole  had 
been  made  in  the  metal  and  a stone  dropped 
casually  in.  The  setting  must  be  frankly 
made  to  look  like  a setting,  and  the  foliage 
or  branches  in  the  background  must  be 
made  to  lead  up  to  the  setting  as  the  cul- 
minating point  of  the  whole  jewel. 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Pendants — Things  to  be  Avoided — Suggestions  for  De- 
sign— The  Use  of  Enamel — Setting  the  Enamel 
— The  Hoop  for  the  Pendant — Polishing 

Pendants  should  not  be  large  or  sprawl- 
ing. Points,  projections,  and  roughnesses 
should  be  avoided.  The  lines  of  the 

137 


Brooches 


Pendants 


Pendants  ornament  should  tend  toward  the  center 
or  to  some  point  of  interest  within  the 
outline.  The  back  should  be  made  in- 
teresting as  well  as  the  front.  My  method 
of  design  is  to  make  each  jewel  enshrine 
some  story  or  symbol.  I try  to  make  the 
ornament  allusive  to  the  gem,  to  its  leg- 
endary history,  to  its  qualities,  or  to  the 
ideas  suggested  by  it.  For  example,  you 
take  an  aqua-marine ; the  name  itself,  no 
less  than  the  color,  at  once  suggests  things 
of  the  sea.  Any  other  method  is  permis- 
sible if  the  student  is  sincere.  H e must 
follow  whatever  inspiration  is  given  him 
at  all  costs,  and  in  spite  of  everything. 
The  design  now  suggested  is  merely  a peg 
on  which  to  hang  the  technical  description. 
Lay  your  stone  or  stones  on  a bit  of  silver, 
and  draw  fishes  swimming  spirally  to  or 
from  the  stone  as  a center ; make  studies 
of  fish,  avoiding  grotesque  or  extraordinary 
forms ; pay  great  attention  to  the  bony 
structure  of  the  head  and  the  set  of  the 
fins.  Look  at  any  Japanese  drawings  of 
fish  you  can  get  hold  of,  and  follow  their 
methods. 

After  you  have  made  the  setting  for  the 
stone,  draw  the  fish  on  the  silver,  boss  the 
whole  well  out  from  the  back,  arrange  a 
138 


hollow  for  the  setting  of  the  stone  and  fairly 
deep  hollows  between  the  fish  to  be  filled 
with  enamel,  and  let  the  outlines  of  the  fish 
be  fairly  undercut  to  give  good  hold  for  the 
enamel.  Put  a range  of  spiral  curls  rather 
high  in  relief  all  round  to  make  a frame, 
and  let  the  tip  of  the  spirals  lip  over  the 
bodies  of  the  fish  so  that  they  are  encircled 
by  waves  (fig. 

76).  When 
the  repousse  is 
finished,  you 
must  arrange 
for  the  back. 

You  can  have 
it  all  in  enamel 
like  a sea 


or 


you  can  put 
a silver  ship 
with  sails  on 
enamel  waves. 

A modern  sailing  ship  is  still  as  beauti- 
ful a thing  as  men  make  nowadays,  and 
you  should  make  a careful  drawing  of 
one.  Take  care  that  it  fills  the  panel 
well,  and  raise  it  and  chase  it  until  it 
is  as  complete  as  you  can  make  it.  If 
you  intend  to  put  an  enamel  sea,  you 
must  prepare  a sunken  ground  wherever 

l39 


Pendants 


Pendants  the  enamel  is  to  come,  and  the  edges 
of  the  ground  must  be  undercut,  so  that 
the  silver  itself  frames  the  enamel.  Nothing 
looks  worse  than  enamel  melting  away  into 
modeled  work  without  a line  to  frame  it 
and  keep  it  in  its  proper  place  in  the  com- 
position. Enamel  is  not  a kind  of  paint 
which  can  be  applied  anywhere  as  a means 
of  hiding  inferior  work  ; it  must  be  treated 
as  a precious  material,  and  employed  in 
small  quantities.  The  modern  tendency  to 
cover  large  surface  with  enamel  vulgarizes 
the  material,  making  it  look  like  so  much 
colored  varnish,  and  this  without  any  cor- 
responding advantage.  You  will  then  clean 
the  metal  by  boiling  out  in  acid,  and 
wherever  the  enamel  comes,  the  ground 
and  the  back  of  the  metal  also  is  to  be 
scraped  quite  clean  and  bright  all  over. 

Choose  two  or  three  good  rich  enamels, 
ranging  from  dark  to  pale  sea-green,  and 
grind  it  up  fairly  fine,  and  wash  it  well 
till  all  milkiness  disappears ; then  paint 
the  back  of  each  plate,  wherever  there  is 
to  be  enamel  in  front,  with  gum  traga- 
canth  and  water,  and  dust  the  backing  (see 
chapter  on  Enamel  Work)  all  over.  Shake 
off  the  surplus,  and  leave  to  dry.  Then 
take  the  ground  greens,  add  a tiny  drop 

140 


of  gum  to  each  mixture,  fill  in  the  spaces 
left  for  the  sea,  shading  the  greens  from 
dark  at  the  edge  to  light  at  the  center, 
making  the  lightest  green  a little  darker 
than  the  central  stone,  because  everything 
must  lead  up  to  that.  Then  fire  carefully 
in  the  muffle  until  the  enamel  flows  smooth 
and  shining,  remove  from  the  furnace,  and 
cool  slowly  in  a sand  bath  or  in  front  of 
the  stove. 

When  cool,  you  can  remove  any  irregu- 
larities of  surface  with  a corundum  file 
and  water.  If  necessary,  re-fire  to  get  all 
smooth  and  bright.  You  will  now  have 
to  arrange  the  fitting  of  the  two  together. 
Take  a piece  of  io  silver,  a little  larger 
than  the  outline  of  the  pendant,  mark 
the  outline  all  round  with  a point,  leaving 
projections  where  loops  come,  then  saw 
out  the  center  leaving  only  a band  -|th 
inch  wide.  Cut  a narrow  band  of  No.  5 
silver,  bend  it  round  the  outline,  and 
when  it  fits  solder  the  ends  together,  and 
solder  the  whole  to  the  plate  you  have 
sawed  out,  so  that  you  have,  as  it  were,  a 
skeleton  setting.  Treat  the  other  side 
in  a similar  way.  File  the  setting  into 
a wave-like  line,  and,  after  soldering  two 
strong  loops  to  the  central  plate,  file  away 

Hi 


Pendants 


Pendants  the  surplus  metal,  and  make  the  whole 
setting  smooth  to  the  touch  and  pleasant 
to  look  at.  Take  a fine  drill,  and,  fixing 
the  front  in  place,  drill  a hole  here  and 
there  through  the  setting  and  the  relief. 
Do  this  with  the  back  also.  Make  taper 

pins  of  silver  wire 
to  fit  the  holes, 
and,  after  rubbing 
the  edges  of  the 
setting  over  with  a 
burnisher,  insert  the 
pins  and  press  them 
firmly  home.  Cut 
them  off  close  to  the 
setting,  and  take  a 
small  graining-tool 
(fig.  77)  or  a hollow- 
headed punch,  the 
hollow  of  which  is 
not  larger  than  the 
head  of  the  pin, 
grain  the  point  over 
with  a circular  movement  until  the  rough 
head  of  the  pin  is  well  rounded.  This  fixes 
the  pin  firmly  in  its  place.  You  will  now 
need  to  make  the  loop,  and  a little  knop 
to  act  as  a spreader  for  the  suspending 
chains.  You  may  make  the  knop  to  sug- 
142 


gest  the  • air.  Draw  a sea-gull  with  out- 
stretched downward  drooping  wings.  You 
can  see  them  any  day  about  the  bridges 
on  the  Thames.  Beat  it  up  from  a bit 
of  7 or  8 silver,  underneath  you  can  place 
a band  of  curling  waves.  The  ground 
can  either  be  cut  away  or  it  can  be  en- 
amelled in  different  blues.  If  enamel  is 
used,  the  silver  must  be  fine  silver ; and 
you  must  solder  on  the  back  with  1 8-carat 
gold  solder- -other  solder  is  apt  to  be 
destroyed  in  the  firing. 

If  you  prefer  the  pierced  ground,  cut 
it  away  with  a metal  saw,  and  solder  the 
bird  on  a back  of  No.  5 thickness. 
Take  care  that  the  joins  are  all  well 
flushed  up  with  solder.  Provide  for 
suspension  loops,  coiled  rings  for  the 
bottom,  and  a loop  like  this  51  for  the 
top  loop,  all  soldered  on  the  back  plate. 
Cut  the  ground  away  again  and  file  up  the 
whole  true,  and  clean  and  stone  ready  for 
polishing.  The  loop  is  made  of  a thick 
piece  of  metal,  No.  8 or  10,  shaped  as  in 
fig.  7 8a.  Take  a rounded  doming-punch 
and  hollow  it  well  out  from  the  back 
(fig.  78b).  Take  a pair  of  round-nosed 
pliers  and  bend  it  as  in  fig.  78c,  and  solder 
the  ends  together.  Have  ready  the  coiled 

H3 


Pendants 


Pendants 


rings,  and  solder  them  to  the  loop  (see 
fig.  78d),  and  fix  a grain  between  the  two 
for  the  sake  of  strength  no  less  than  for 
appearance.  Make  chain  loops  as  before 

described,  and 
beat  up  four  little 
bosses.  They  may 
be  shells  or  little 
coiled  fishes;  make 
them  double,  sol- 
der them  together, 
solder  loops  top 
and  bottom,  and 
then  loopthewhole 
up  temporarily  to 
see  how  it  hangs. 
After  correcting 
any  inequalities, 
solder  all  the 
chains  together, 
then  polish  with 
the  scratch-brush  and  beer,  and  after- 
ward finish  with  rouge.  The  enamel  por- 
tion can  be  polished  with  putty  powder 
and  a little  water. 


A 

Fig.  78. 


144 


CHAPTER  XVII 


Hair  Ornaments  and  Combs — Silver  Hairpin— The 
Skeleton  Sphere— Hardening  the  Pin — A Comb  in 
Silver — How  to  make  the  Prongs — The  Joint — 

The  Head  of  the  Comb — Arranging  the  Stones — 

The  Groups  of  Leaves — The  Pin  for  the  Hinge 
—Setting  the  Pearls — How  to  Drill  Pearls 

Combs  and  other  ornaments  for  the  hair  Hair  Orna- 
must  be  very  light,  and  free  from  sharp  ments  an^ 
angles  or  roughnesses.  The  required  Combs 
lightness  is  obtained  either  by  using  very 
thin  metal,  or  by  building  up  the  design 
out  of  wire  or  filigree. 

Let  us  take  the  simplest  first,  and  make 
a long  pin  for  the  hair. 

Take  a rounded  iron  doming-punch 
and  beat  out  two  half-domes  out  of  No. 

2 or  ,3  silver,  file  the  edges  level,  and 
solder  the  two  halves  together  to  make 
a complete  ball.  Leave  a hole  to  \ inch 
wide  in  the  center  of  one  of  the  half-domes 
and  a smaller  hole  opposite  this  and  fill 
it  with  pitch.  Then  w^arm  the  pitch-block, 
and  wet  the  silver  ball  and  press  it  into 
the  pitch ; then  take  a fine  tracer  and  trace 
spiral  lines  round  the  dome,  taking  care  not 
to  drive  the  punch  in  too  deeply;  then 


Hair  Orna- 
ments and 
Combs 


with  other  punches  chase 
the  surface  into  rounded 
spiral  ribs,  either  with  a 
narrow  rib  between  each 
pair,  or  simply  a series  of 
rounded  spirals.  Next 
take  twisted  wire,  the 
smallest  size  you  can  get, 
and  solder  it  into  the  hol- 
lows between  the  ribs. 

This  done,  cut  a piece  of 
stout  silver  wire  6 inches 
long  and  file  it  into  a taper 
pin  ; solder  the  chased  ball 
on  the  top  of  this  pin  so 
that  the  end  of  the  pin 
projects  very  slightly. 
Next  take  two  rings  of 
wire,  about  J inch  in 
diameter,  solder  the  two 
together  crosswise,  and 
solder  a small  bead  at  the 
top.  Then  solder  this  on 
the  top  of  a tiny  piece  of 
round  wire  like  a column, 
and  put  a grain  of  silver 
in  each  angle  (see  fig.  80) ; 
then  solder  a tiny  half- 
dome of  the  silver  on 


the  top  of  the  large  ball  and  the  skeleton 
ball  and  pillar  on  the  top  of  this  again. 

Where  the  pillar  meets  the  half  dome 
(fig.  81)  you  must  put  a ring 
of  fine  wire  to  cover  the  joint 
and  make  a neat  finish.  Now 
take  a piece  of  silver  wire  and 
coil  it  on  a mandrel,  J inch  in 
diameter,  about  a dozen  times. 

Saw  the  rings  apart  and  solder  two 
together  as  before  described.  At  the 
junctions  you  will  solder  two  small  rings 
of  fiat  wire,  just  large  enough  to  let  the 
pin  pass  through  both  at  the  top  and  the 
bottom.  Cut  the  remaining  rings  in  half, 
and  solder  a half-ring  in  each 
angle.  Repeat  this  until  you 
have  a skeleton  sphere.  It  is 
better  to  finish  soldering  at  the 
top  of  the  sphere  before  pro- 
ceeding to  the  other  pole  ; and 
p when  soldering  the  other  ends, 

it  is  better  to  cover  the  part  al- 
ready soldered  with  loam  and  water,  or  whi- 
ting and  water  ; this  will  prevent  the  solder 
from  melting  and  the  rings  from  falling  to 
pieces.  The  skeleton  sphere  can  now  be 
strengthened  by  a row  of  tiny  half-domes 
and  groups  of  six  grains  alternately ; the 

147 


Hair  Orna- 
ments and 
Combs 


Hair  Orna- 
ments and 
Combs 


width  of  each  half-dome  and  flower  being 
exactly  the  width  apart  of  the  ribs.  Solder 
one  to  the  center  of  each  rib,  and  let  all  the 
flowers  and  small  half-domes  be  soldered  to 
each  other.  Next  file  away  the  crossing- 
wires  within  the  top  and  bottom  rings,  and 
slip  the  completed  ball  into  its  place  on 
the  pin  ; find  the  point  at  which  it  looks 
best,  and  there  solder  a collar  of  wire  on 
the  pin.  You  will  now  solder  the  skele- 
ton sphere  in  its  place,  beginning  at  the 
top.  Protect  the  half  not  being  soldered 
with  loam  or  whiting.  When  the  upper 
join  is  made,  clean  away  the  loam  or  whi- 
ting and  boil  the  metal  clean  and  white  in 
pickle.  Scrape  the  joint  bright,  and  slip 
another  ring  on  the  pin  to  make  a collar 
underneath  the  spheres.  Before  proceed- 
ing to  solder,  make  two  stout  rings  inch 
inside  measure,  and  tie  them  opposite  each 
other  where  the  pin  and  sphere  meet. 
Then  protect  the  rest  of  the  work  with 
loam  or  whiting  as  before,  and  finish  sol- 
dering. Next  make  six  small  hollow 
spheres  of  No.  2 metal,  and  having  coiled 
up  a number  of  small  rings  of  fine  wire 
or  fine  twist,  have  ready  a number  of  small 
beads  of  silver,  and  solder  the  rings  round 
the  outsides  of  the  balls,  and  put  a grain  in 
148 


every  alternate  circle.  Then  solder  a ring  on  Hair  Orna- 
the  top  of  each  <g>  ™ents  and 

ball,  and  make  Combs 

six  lengths  of 
fine  chain  as  de- 
scribed for  neck- 
laces, or  simply 
of  circles  of  wire, 
alternate  twist 
and  plain,  large1 
and  small,  and 
loop  three  balls 
on  each  loop  as 
shown  in  fig.  79. 

Next  hammer 
the  pin  carefully 
on  a bent  stake 
to  make  it  hard 
and  springy. 

The,  whole  can 
now  be  cleaned 
and  polished. 

To  Make  a 
Comb.— Take  a 
strip  of  silver, 
size  10  ordinary 
gage,  and  mark 
out  a simple 
three-  or  four- 


149 


Hair  Orna- 
ments and 
Combs 


pronged  comb,  as  in  the  lower  portion  of 
fig.  82.  Leave  a space  of  at  least  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  before  you  begin  the 
prongs.  Then  saw  out  the  prongs  and  file 
up  the  edges  clean  and  smooth.  Draw  a 
piece  of  fine  tube,  as  de- 
scribed before,  about  -jig- 
inch  in  diameter,  and  sol- 
der a length  along  the  back 
of  these  prongs  as  at  a 
in  fig.  83. 

You  will  now  require  to 
make  the  top  of  the  comb. 
The  best  way  is  to  get  a 
few  clear  stones  and  arrange 
them  into  a pleasant  pattern, 
Fig*  83-  with  different  shaped  bosses 
of  metal  and  wreaths  of  filigree  (fig. 
84).  This  was  an  arrangement  of  aqua- 
marines and  pearls.  The  pearls  should 
be  of  irregular  shapes,  and  drilled  so 
that  they  may  be  mounted  as  roses.  First 
make  settings  for  the  aquamarines,  and 
solder  them  on  a back-plate  hammered 
up  into  a domical  section.  Then  make 
strong  twigs  of  thick  wire  hammered 
taper  and  soldered  together  in  a simple 
interlacing  pattern  embracing  the  settings. 
The  pattern  must  not  be  too  regular, 
150 


nor  must  the  stones  be  of  equal 
color. 

When  the  main  stems  are  soundly 


Size  or  Hair  Orna- 
ments and 
Combs 


Fig.  84. 


soldered,  take  silver  wire  and  make  leaves 
as  before  described,  and  solder  them  to- 

151 


Combs 


Hair  Orna-  gether  in  groups  of  five,  with  grains  be- 
ments  and  tween  each  pair  of  leaves.  Then  make  a 
calyx  or  skeleton  setting  for  each  of  the 
pearl  roses,  and  solder  a calyx  on  the  tip 
of  each  principal  twig,  leaving  enough  of 
the  twig  to  pass  through  the  pearl  and  be 
riveted  or  grained  over  when  the  pearl  is 
fixed.  This  will  be  done  when  all  the 
soldering,  cleaning,  and  polishing  has  been 

completed.  Hav- 
ing fixed  the  posi- 
tion of  the  roses, 
you  can  now  arrange 
the  groups  of  leaves 
in  order  on  the 
stem,  and  solder 
them,  using  loam  or 
whiting  to  protect 
the  joints.  The 
center  line  of  each  leaf  should  be  tan 
gential  to  the  main  curve  (fig.  85). 

When  all  the  leaves  have  been  soldered 
on  you  will  need  to  strengthen  the  bottom 
plate  both  for  the  attachment  of  the  hinge 
and  to  bind  up  the  settings  for  the  stones 
into  a connected  whole.  Take  a piece  of 
stout  sheet-silver  shaped  as  at  b in  fig.  78, 
and,  having  filed  it  up  smooth,  tie  it  firmly 
with  wire,  or  strong  clips  of  bent  iron 
152 


Fig.  85. 


wire,  to  the  body  of  the  comb.  When  Hair  Orna- 
the  solder  has  flushed  well  in  and  around  merits  and 
every  joint  boil  the  work  clean  in  acid,  and  Comt)S 
then  file  a groove  with  a rounded  file  along 
the  bottom  edge  of  the  projecting  tongue, 
and  solder  a tube  of  the  same  size  as  before 
into  the  groove ; file  spaces  into  each 
tube  to  receive  the  projections  in  the  other. 

There  should  be  not  less  than  five  joints — 
three  above  and  two  below  (fig.  86).  This 


Fig.  86. 


way  of  making  the  hinge  is  an  easy  one,  but 
it  is  not  the  best,  because  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  file  the  joints  of  the  hinge  per- 
fectly true  and  square  without  the  joint 
tool.  If  you  wish  to  spend  more  time  on 
the  work  you  can  make  the  hinge  in  short 
lengths,  as  described  for  the  casket  hinge, 
and  then,  having  slipped  all  the  parts  of 
the  joint  on  a brass  pin  filed  to  fit,  tie 
the  head  and  the  tang  of  the  comb  to- 

1S3 


Hair  Orna-  gether  with  the  hinge  between ; then  just 
ments  and  tack  the  tubes — -three  to  the  tang  and  two 


to  the  head — with  a tiny  pane!  of  solder 
to  each  ; do  not  flush  the  solder  or  you  will 
spoil  the  whole  hinge  by  running  the  solder 
into  the  joints.  As  a precaution  you 
should  paint  the  inside  of  the  tubes  and  the 
faces  of  the  joints  with  a little  rouge  and 
water.  When  the  parts  are  tacked,  take 
the  work  apart  and  solder  it  all  firmly. 

Next  make  two  hollow  balls,  and  solder 
one  to  the  end  of  a pin  (fig.  87)  which 


file  a shoulder  on  the  other  end  of  the  pin 
just  where  it  comes  through  the  hinge. 
When  the  comb  is  finally  fitted  together 
the  pin  will  be  securely  riveted  over 
the  ball. 

When  the  whole  is  stoned  with  Water 
of  Ayr  stone  and  has  been  polished,  you 
may  set  the  stones  as  before  described. 
In  fixing  the  pearls  you  will  need  to  use 
shellac  to  cement  them  to  their  settings. 
Take  a stick  of  shellac,  and  after  heating 
one  end  in  the  gas  flame,  draw  it  out  into 
a long  thread.  Then  heat  the  setting  of 


Fig.  87. 


* © 


exactly  fits  the 
hinge,  and, 
having  drilled 
the  other  ball. 


J54 


each  stone,  and  wind  a little  of  this  thread  Hair  Orna- 
of  shellac  round  it.  Warm  the  pearl,  merits  and 
and  run  a little  of  the  shellac  in  the  hole  ; Combs 
then,  holding  the  setting  and  the  pearl, 
one  in  each  hand,  over  the  flame,  slip  the 
pearl  over  the  peg  while  the  cement  is 
liquid ; when  it  is  cold  you  can  rivet  the 
peg  very  carefully.  If  the  pearls  have 
not  been  drilled,  you  must  drill  them. 

To  do  this  you  will  need  a holder.  It 


Fig.  88. 


consists  of  a strip  of  brass  bent  as  in  fig. 
88  and  fixed  in  a hand-vise  ; a graduated 
series  of  holes  is  drilled  through  the  two 
contiguous  halves,  the  inner  edges  of  the 
holes  are  then  slightly  countersunk  to  pre- 
vent injury  to  the  pearl,  a slip  collar  is 
made,  and  the  instrument  is  complete. 

Put  the  pearl  you  wish  to  drill  in  the 
pair  of  holes  that  most  nearly  fits  it,  slip 
the  collar  until  the  pearl  is  firmly  held. 

*55 


Hair  Orna-  You  can  now  drill  the  hole  without  danger 
ments  and  Qf  injuring  the  pearl  or  your  own  fingers. 

Combs  There  is  no  need  to  drill  the  pearl  right 
through,  a well-made  peg  well  cemented 
will  hold  quite  well,  even  if  it  only  goes 
half-way  into  the  pearl.  If  the  pearl  is 
specially  valuable  the  peg  may  be  keyed 
on.  This  is  done  by  drilling  a hole  and 
making  it  larger  at  the  bottom  than  at  the 
top.  The  peg  used  is  made  of  two  half- 
round  wires  put  together  and  soldered  to 
the  cap,  the  two  ends  are  then  slightly 
filed  away,  and  a very  tiny  wedge  of  metal 
inserted ; the  peg  is  then  cemented  and 
pressed  into  the  hole.  The  pressure  on 
the  wedge  drives  the  two  halves  of  wire 
outward  and  the  peg  can  not  be  with- 
drawn. It  can  only  be  drilled  out.  Care 
is  needed  in  doing  this  or  the  pearl  may 
be  split. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


Bracelets — The  Hammered  Bracelet — The  Hinge 
Bracelet — The  Band — The  Snap — The  Hinge 
— Fitting  the  Joints — The  Flexible  Bracelet — 
- Cleaning  and  Burnishing 


Bracelets 


Bracelet  sizes  range  from  6\  to  7 inches 
in  circumference. 

I56 


Take  a short  length  of  thick  silver  wire 
about  -|^0-th  inch  in  diameter,  anneal  it,  and 
flatten  it  out  to  a square  section  in  the 
center  and  fan-shaped  and  feather-edged 
at  the  ends  (fig.  89). 

When  you  have  stretched  it  out  to  at 
least  two  inches  longer  than  the  circum- 
ference required,  take  a sharp  chisel  and 
divide  the  fan-shaped  ends  as  shown  in 


the  diagram.  Anneal  the  metal  thoroughly, 
next  open  out  the  strips  of  metal  and 
hammer  them  into  a more  regular  taper. 
Do  this  to  both  sides,  and  anneal  again. 
Mark  out  the  right  lengths  of  the  bracelet, 
and  bend  the  ends  to  a sharp  angle,  so 
that  the  tips  of  the  ends  will  just  reach 
the  extremities  of  this  line.  Solder  on 
each  bend  a short  piece  of  silver  the 

157 


Bracelets 


Bracelets  thickness  of  the  bracelet,  making  the 
band  of  the  bracelet  just  the  right  length, 
and  file  up  the  ends  true  and  ciean.  With 
a pair  of  smooth,  round-nosed  pliers  bend 
up  the  taper  twigs  into  simple  scrolls 
(fig.  90)  and  connect  them  with  each 
other  by  means  of  large  beads  made  as 
before  described,  and  flattened  with  the 


hammer  on  the  square  bench  stake.  When 
this  has  been  done  to  both  sides,  bend 
the  band  round  with  two  pairs  of  strong 
pliers  into  the  shape  of  a flattened  circle. 
To  avoid  marking  the  metal  you  must 
make  thin  copper  or  brass  shields  to  slip 
over  the  jaws  of  the  pliers.  When  the 
curve  is  perfect,  and  the  ends  butt  cleanly 
together,  take  a small  jewel,  say  a chryso- 

158 


prase,  an  opal,  or  a garnet.  Make  a box 
setting  for  it,  and  solder  the  setting  on 
one  side  of  the  band,  so  that  one-half  of 
the  setting  will  be  on  the  band,  the  other 
half  standing  free.  This  will  cover  the 
junction  of  the  ends  and  yet  give  the 
metal  play,  so  that  it  can  be  slipped  over 
the  hand  without  difficulty  (fig.  91).  The 
outside  of  the  bracelet  may  be  hammered 
into  a rounded  or  softly  beveled  section, 


Fig.  91. 


and  the  surface  afterward  decorated  with 
chasing-tools.  This  work  will,  of  course, 
be  done  upon  pitch.  The  inside  of  the 
bracelet  must  be  scraped  and  filed  clean 
and  smooth  and  rounded,  and  all  rough- 
nesses removed  from  every  part  of  the 
work  with  the  Water  of  Ayr  stone.  It 
is  now  ready  for  whitening,  stoning,  and 
polishing.  This  done,  the  stone  can  be 
set  and  the  final  polishing  given.  When, 

1 59 


Bracelets 


Bracelets  unless  you  wish  to  oxidize  the  work,  which 
can  be  done  as  described  elsewhere,  the 
whole  is  finished. 

To  Make  a Hinged  Bracelet . — Cut  an 
ellipse  of  the  size  required  out  of  stout 
sheet  brass  (fig.  92).  This  is  to  serve  as 
a guide  when  bending  the  band  of  the 
bracelet.  Take  two  lengths  of  square 
silver  wire  and  make  two  ovals  to  fit 


closely  over  the  brass  pattern.  Solder  the 
two  ends  together,  and  cut  a narrow  slip 
of  No.  6 or  8 sheet-silver  as  broad  as  you 
wish  to  make  the  band.  This  can  be 
decorated  in  repousse  with  very  simple 
patterns  of  symmetrically  arranged  dots 
or  a simple  running  pattern. 

Bend  the  band  to  fit  the  outside  of  the 
oval  rings ; tie  the  band  and  the  rings 
160 


firmly  together  as  in  the  diagram  (fig.  93), 
and  solder  the  whole  soundly  together. 
This  makes  the  band  of  the  bracelet.  You 
have  now  to  make  the  hinge  and  snap. 

To  Make  the  Hinge  or  Joint . — Draw  a 
length  of  thin  silver  tube  as  wide  as  the 
thickness  of  the  bracelet  edge,  and  another 
length  just  to  fit  inside  this  tube.  Drill 
a hole  through  the  edge  wires  of  the 


Fig.  93. 


bracelet,  and  enlarge  this  with  the  needle 
file,  so  that  the  larger  tube  will  slip  com- 
fortably into  its  place.  Now  cut  off  a 
short  length  of  the  larger  tube  a little 
longer  than  the  depth  of  the  bracelet  band, 
and  halve  it  lengthwise  with  the  frame- 
saw. Into  one  half  solder  two  lengths  of 
the  small  tube,  with  a space  between  them 
— each  piece  being  a third  as  long  as  the 
11  * 161 


Bracelets 


Bracelets  joint — -and  into  the  center  of  the  other 
half  solder  another  piece  of  tube  filed  to 

fit  exactly  between 
the  first  two  (see 
fig.  94).  Fit  these 
two  halves  of  the 
joint  together  after 
painting  each  with 
a little  rouge  and 
water  to  prevent 
them  from  sticking 
togetherwhile  being 
soldered  into  the 
bracelet.  Scrape  the 
outside  of  the  tube  quite  clean,  and  tie  it 
in  place  with 
binding- wire. 

See  that  the  joint 
in  the  tube  lies 
across  the  edge 
of  the  bracelet 
as  in  fig.  95. 

Put  some  small 
panels  of  solder 
on  each  side  of 
the  tube,  and 
solder  it  without 

giving  too  much  heat,  or  the  solder  may 
flush  into  the  joint  and  spoil  the  work. 
162 


Fig.  94. 


File  the  ends  of  the  tube  flush  with  the 
edge  of  the  bracelet.  The  snap  is  made 
by  cutting  two  strips  of  8-gage  metal,  one 
for  the  back,  and  one  for  the  face  of  the 
snap.  File  the  face  into 
the  form  at  fig.  96.  The 
upper  space  is  for  the  spring 
plate,  the  lower  for  the 
bottom  plate  of  the  snap.  For  this  latter 
take  a strip  of  8-  or  9-gage  silver,  file 
it  to  fit  the  lower  slot  B,  and  solder  it 
at  right  angles  to  the 
back-plate(seefig.  97). 
The  spring-plate  is  a 
narrow  strip  of  the 
same  metal  filed  to 
fit  the  groove  C. 
Solder  the  end  of  it  to  the  bottom  plate 
at  D so  that  the  edge  nearest  the  back-plate 
is  separated  from  the  latter  by  a space 
exactly  the  thickness  of  the 
metal  (fig.  98). 

If  you  now  file  notches 
in  the  band  of  the  bracelet 
lengthwise  down  the  joint,  and  saw  the 
band  through  on  the  opposite  side,  the 
bracelet  will  come  in  two,  and  can  be 
hinged  up  temporarily  with  a brass  peg. 
The  snap-plates  can  now  be  soldered 

163 


Fig.  98. 


Fig.  96. 


Bracelets 


Bracelets 


Fig.  99. 


to  the  other  end.  The  plate  A should 
first  be  soldered  in  position,  a lining-plate, 
B,  being  soldered  inside  each  half  of  the 
bracelet  (figs.  99,  100), 
and  a slot  filed  at  C to 
admit  the  thumbpiece  of 
the  snap.  Fix  the  snap- 
plate  carefully  in  place, 
rouge  it,  and  tie  it  with 
wire.  Scrape  the  back 
of  the  snap-plate  and  the  end  of  the  brace- 
let which  abuts  on  this  ; tie  binding-wire 
round  the  whole  bracelet,  and  solder  the 
back-plate  of  the  snap  to  the  proper  half 
of  the  band.  File  the  joint  clean  and 
smooth,  and  release  the  snap  by  pressing 
the  point  of  a file  or  a knife  upon  the 
spring-plate  through  the 
slot  C.  The  thumbpiece, 
made  of  a strip  of  silver, 
can  now  be  soldered  in 
position,  and  the  snap  is 
complete.  A loop  may 
be  soldered  on  each  side 
for  the  attachment  of  the 
safety-chain  if  you  wish,  but  it  is  not 
absolutely  necessary. 

All  the  constructive  enrichment  of  the 
band — as,  for  instance,  a panel  of  filigree- 
164 


Fig.  1 00. 


Fig.  ioi, 


work,  foliage,  or  set  stones— should  be 
done  before  the  joint  and  snap  are  made, 
otherwise  the  bracelet  may  not  snap  or 
close  properly. 

How  to  Make  a Flexible  Bracelet . — Make 
a number  of  small  half-domes 
out  of  No.  5 silver. 

Take  a silver  wire,  about 
20  gage,  and  coil  it  round 
a paper  - guarded  mandrel ; 
anneal  it,  slip  off  the  coils  of 
wire,  and  with  the  saw  cut 
off  the  loops  one  by  one  until  you  have 
a good  number.  Boil  the  rings  clean, 
and  arrange  them  together  (see  fig.  xoi) 
on  a level  piece  of  charcoal.  Solder  them 
all  together,  and  solder  a half-dome  in  the 
middle  and  a grain  in  the 
intersections  of  the  circles. 
Make  a number  of  these 
links,  say  twenty.  Make  a 
similar  number  with  groups 
of  three  small  grains  added 
in  the  intersections  of  the 
circles  (fig.  102).  These  are  the  orna- 
mental loops  to  the  chain  of  which  the 
flexible  part  of  the  bracelet  will  be  made. 
Take  a mandrel  of  flattened  iron  or  brass 
wire,  coil  a strip  of  thin  paper  round  it,  and 

x6  5 


Fig.  102. 


Bracelets 


Bracelets 


after  the  paper  flattened  or  half-round  wire, 
gage  1 8 or  20.  Saw  these  links  off,  and 
with  them  loop  the  first  made  links  in 
groups  of  three  and 
solder  each  link  ; the 
three  central  orna- 
mental links  can  be 
looped  together  also 
(fig.  103).  You  will 
now  be  able  to  loop 
up  the  whole  inch 
length  easily,  or  you 
can  make  the  bracelet 
with  a single  row  of 
ringedloops,as  shown 
in  fig.  104.  This 
done,  make  the  two  end  panels,  one  to  hold 
the  snap  and  the  other  for  the  catch -plate. 
You  can  do  them  in  repousse  out  of  8- 
gage  silver.  A pair  of  little  rabbits,  or 
squirrels  in  a bower 
of  leaves,  would 
look  well,  and  the 
relief  should  be 
fairly  high.  The 
group  should  be 
done  in  one  piece,  leaving  a clear  line 
down  the  center  for  the  joint.  When  the 
modeling  is  complete,  boil  it  out  and 
166 


Fig.  104. 


solder  on  a back  of  No.  6 metal.  Saw  Bracelets 
the  panel  in  two,  and  solder  the  slotted 
catch-plate  centrally  on  one  and  the  snap- 
plate  to  the  other.  File  out  a slot  in  the 
catch-plate  side  and  fit  the  two  together, 
and  file  up  clean.  When  the 
thumbpiece  has  been  added,  the 
clasp  is  complete,  except  for 
the  loops. 

Mark  on  each  half  the  proper 
position  for  the  loops  of  the 
chain-band ; solder  on  stout 
links  of  wire.  These  should 
be  circles  and  soldered  firmly  to 
the  back-plate  of  the  clasp,  and 
each  loop  further  strengthened  by  soldering 
a grain  of  silver  on  each  side  of  it  (see 
fig.  105).  Now  loop  it  all  up  together, 
boil  it  out,  and  clean  in  pickle.  Then  re- 
move the  traces  of  pickle  by  boiling  it  in 
hot  water  and  soda.  Polish  it  on  the 
scratch-brush  with  beer,  and  brighten  the 
domes  of  each  loop  with  a burnisher.  The 
clasp  can  also  be  gone  over  with  the  bur- 
nisher with  great  advantage*  It  may  be 
well  to  mention  that  springs  of  catches 
made  in  9-carat  gold  last  longer  than  those 
made  in  silver. 


Fig.  105. 


167 


CHAPTER  XIX 


Gold  Work — The  Care  of  the  Material — Board 
Sweep — Method  of  Treatment — Alloys — Hair 
Ornaments — The  Ingot — Drawing  the  Wire — 
Making  Grains — Leaves — Flowers — Gold  Sol- 
der— Nine-Carat  Gold  for  the  Pin — Study  of 
Old  Work 

Gold  Work  Gold  work,  on  account  of  the  greater 
cost  of  the  material,  needs  very  much 
more  care  on  the  part  of  the  workman. 
Board  sweep,  lemel,  polishings,  the  sweep- 
ings of  the  floor  underneath  the  work-bench 
— -must  all  be  carefully  preserved  for  re- 
fining when  a sufficient  quantity  has  been 
obtained.  The  material  should  always  be 
used,  so  that  it  gives  its  utmost  decorative 
value.  The  work  must  be  built  up  out 
of  thin  sheets  or  wires,  not  filed  up  out 
of  the  solid.  Gold,  by  its  very  ductility 
and  malleability,  invites  this  method  of 
treatment ; and  it  is  the  one  most  used 
in  all  the  finest  periods.  To  work  in 
solid  gold  is  to  waste  precious  material 
needlessly.  Used  thin  it  gives  a beauty 
unattainable  by  other  means.  The  quality 
of  the  gold  to  be  used  depends  on  the 
nature  of  the  work.  For  enameled  panels 
1 68 


fine  gold  is  best,  but  on  account  of  its  ex-  Gold  Work 
treme  softness  it  will  not  stand  much  wear. 

To  give  it  hardness,  it  is  alloyed  with 
varying  quantities  of  copper  and  silver. 

Copper  by  itself  gives  the  gold  a red  color, 
silver  by  itself  a greenish  color ; the 
two  together  gives  the  alloy  almost  the 
original  color  again.  The  best  alloy, 
both  for  working  and  appearance  after- 
ward, is  naturally  that  which  is  most 
nearly  fine  gold — viz.,  22-carat.  The 
next  best  is  20-carat,  while  the  ordinary 
gold  of  trade  jewelry  is  18-carat.  But 
this,  if  alloyed  with  copper  only,  is  not 
pleasant  in  color,  is  much  harder  to  work, 
and  is  liable  to  crack  if  used  for  repousse 
work.  If  it  is  alloyed  with  silver  only  the 
alloy  is  paler  in  color  than  gold,  but  it 
is  very  pleasant  to  work,  and  is  very  duc- 
tile and  kindly.  For  repousse  gold  may 
be  allied  with  silver  down  to  1 2-carat ; 
but  beyond  12-carat  the  alloy  looks  much 
more  like  silver  than  gold,  and  the 
effect  of  it  is  not,  perhaps,  much  better 
than  gold-washed  silver.  Yet  it  is  as 
well  to  remember  that  the  addition  of 
even  a small  quantity  of  gold  to  silver 
gives  a richness  of  color  which  can  not 
be  obtained  in  any  other  way. 


169 


will  suppose  you  wish  to  make  a 
pair  of  hair  ornaments  in 
20-carat  gold.  First  you 
will  buy  from  any  of  the 
bullion  merchants  i oz. 
of  fine  gold.  Take  io 
dwts.  of  this,  i.  e.  one- 
half,  and  to  every  dwt. 
add  two  grains  of  fine 
silver  and  two  of  alloy 
copper,  in  all  i dwt.  16 
grs.  Put  it  in  a crucible 
with  a little  borax,  melt 
and  cast  it  in  a narrow 
ingot.  When  cool,  draw 
it  out  on  the  anvil  into  a 
square  wire,  hammer  the 
tip  taper,  and  after  an- 
nealing draw  it  down  with 
the  draw-plate  until  you 
get  it  to  size  o.  Coil  it 
up  and  anneal  it  carefully 
on  the  mop  ; boil  it  out 
in  hydrochloric  pickle. 
Next  run  the  ends  into 
beads,  some  large  for 
leaves,  and  some  small 
for  berries,  and  snip  off 
106.  short  lengths.  You  will 


now  need  solder.  Take  two  or  three  dwts.  Gold  Work 
of  the  alloy  you  are  using ; to  every  dwt. 
add  5 grains  of  fine  silver,  and  melt  on 
the  charcoal  block  with  a little  borax ; 

flatten  the  resulting  button  of 
alloy  with  a hammer,  roll  it 
out  thin,  and  cut  it  up  into 
tiny  panels  readyfor  soldering. 

Take  the  prepared  bits  of  wire, 
flatten  the  larger  beaded  ends  into  leaf 
shape  with  a few  taps  on  the  square  bench 
stake  (see  fig.  52),  group  them  on  either 
side  of  a central  stem  (see  fig.  107),  lay 
tiny  panels  of  solder  over  each  junction, 
and  direct  the  flame  on  each  joint  in  suc- 
cession till  the  whole  has  been  soldered. 

Do  this  until  you  have  as  many  groups 
as  you  want.  In 
like  manner  make 
groups  of  the 
smaller  beads  (fig. 

109).  Now  dome 
up  a piece  of  sheet- 
iron  into  a half 
ball  the  size  of  the 

proposed  ornament.  Make  two  rings  of 
plain  wire,  a size  or  two  larger  than  that 
used  for  the  twigs  and  leaves,  and  between 
them  solder  a ring  of  twist  wire.  This 

17 1 


Gold  Work  is  for  the  foundation  band  round  the  edge. 

This  circular  band  must  be  soldered  to  a 
circle  of  flattened  wire,  the  wire  being  bent 
edgewise.  You  will  next  dome  up  a ball 
of  gold  in  two  halves  out  of  size  i or  2 ; 
when  the  metal  just  fits  the  doming-block, 
take  a file  and  file  away  the  superfluous 
metal  and  having  made  an  air-hole  in  one 
half  solder  the  two  together.  Bend  up  a 
small  strip  of  metal  into  a tube 
about  -j^g-th  inch  long,  solder  this 
on  a 5iig  circle  of  size  2,  domed 
slightly ; on  the  top  of  the  tube 
solder  the  gold  bead.  Next  coil 
up  six  rings  of  fine  twisted  wire, 
just  large  enough  to  fit  in  between 
the  hollow  bead  and  the  base,  tie 
them  all  in  position  with  binding- 
wire,  and  solder  them  to  the  stem, 
to  the  hollow  bead  and  the  base 
(see  fig.  no).  Make  grains  out  of  small 
lengths  of  wire  or  bits  of  scrap  gold,  and 
solder  a grain  in  the  angle  between  the  ring 
and  the  bead  and  in  the  angle  between  the 
ring  and  the  base.  Round  the  edge  of  the 
base  put  a double  row  of  twisted  wire  to  en- 
close the  upright  rings.  Between  each  pair 
of  rings  you  must  now  solder  a group  of 
three  grains,  but  take  care  not  to  use  too 
172 


Fig. 


much  heat,  or  you  will  melt  the  rings.  Gold  Work 
This,  when  boiled  out  clean,  forms  the 
central  boss  of  the  whole  ornament.  Tie 
this  and  the  large  ring  already  made  on 
the  iron  ball  with  binding-wire.  You  can 
now  arrange  the  groups  of  leaves  and 
berries  in  their  places  between  the  boss 
and  the  ring.  Each  group  must  touch 
two  others  and  the  top  and  bottom  rings. 

If  this  is  not  done,  the  work  will  not  be 
strong.  While  soldering 
these  it  may  be  well  to 
paint  the  parts  not  to  be 
soldered  with  a paste  of 
loam  or  whiting  and  water, 
or  pipe-clay  and  water,  as 
a precaution  against  melt- 
ing. The  solder  itself 
should  run  more  easily  than  that  used  for 
the  groups  of  leaves.  To  secure  this,  take 
as  much  of  the  first  solder  as  you  think 
you  may  require,  and  add  to  it  a piece 
of  silver  solder,  about  two  grains  of  silver 
solder  to  each  pennyweight  of  the  original 
solder.  When  the  soldering  is  complete, 
boil  the  work  clean.  Have  ready  a num- 
ber of  small  grains  also  boiled  clean,  and 
solder  one  in  the  angle  between  the  twigs 
and  the  bottom,  using  this  both  for  ap- 

173 


Fig.  no. 


Gold  Work  pearance  and  strength  (fig.  hi).  This 
done,  again  boil  out  clean,  and  having 
made  three  circles  of  wire,  size  22,  solder 

them  together  as 
in  fig.  1 12.  Take 
a short  length  of 
tube,  like  that  you 
made  for  the  cen- 
tral boss,  and  tap 
it  with  a female 
screw ; file  up  the 
ends  true  and  sol- 
der it  to  the  center  of  the  three  rings. 
Fig.  1 13  shows  another  arrangement  for 
the  bottom  of  the  filigree  dome.  This 
trefoil  must  now  be  soldered  to  the  back 
of  the  bottom  ring,  and  the  first  part  of 
the  work  complete.  Fig.  114  shows  the 
knop  complete,  but  with 
a boss  of  coiled  twist-wire 
in  the  center  instead  of 
that  first  described. 

The  next  is  to  make 
the  pin  for  attachment 
to  the  hair.  It  should 
be  of  9-carat  gold.  Take 
in  the  proportion  of  9 of  gold  to 
of  copper  and  7J  of  silver,  i.  e.  *]\ 
grains  each  of  copper  and  silver  to  9 
174 


grains  of  fine  gold  will  make  i dwt.  of  Gold  Work 
9-carat  gold  alloy.  Having  weighed  out 
your  alloy,  melted  it,  and  cast  the  ingot, 
draw  the  ingot  out  into  wire,  size  18.  Cut 
off  a piece  double  the  length  of  the 
pin,  bend  it  in  the  center,  and  solder 
a segment  of  wire  to  make  a complete 
circle  (see  fig.  106).  This  strengthens 
the  end  of  the  pin.  Next  make  a hinge 
out  of  a small  tube 
as  described  for  the 
brooch  hinge  (see 
fig.  74).  On  the 
centerportion  of  the 
joint  solder  a male 
screw  to  fit  the 
female  already  pre- 
pared (see  fig.  1 14). 

File  away  all  rough- 
ness ; no  project- 
ing points  must  be  left,  or  they  will  catch 
in  the  hair  and  cause  inconvenience.  All 
work  intended  for  wear  should  be  smooth 
and  pleasant  to  the  touch.  The  work  can 
now  be  stoned  and  polished  with  pumice, 
crocus,  and  rouge. 

In  all  jewelry  work,  but  most  of  all 
in  gold  work,  the  effect  must  be  built  out 
of  small  details.  Design  is  the  language 

175 


Fig.  1 1 3. 


Gold  Work  you  learn  from  your  work,  and  as  your 
skill  in  handiwork  grows,  so  will  your 
power  of  design.  Design  can  not  be 
separated  from  handiwork.  It  is  the 
expression  of  your  personality  in  terms 
of  the  material  in  which  you  work.  One 
has  only  to  look  at  any  piece  of  early- 
gold  work,  Egyptian,  Mykenean,  Etrus- 
can, Indian,  or 
Anglo-Saxon,  to 
realize  what  rich 
effects  can  be  pro- 
duced by  repeti- 
tion. The  beau- 
tiful patterns 
evolved  by  Arab, 
Persian  and  Hin- 
doo artists  from 
the  simplest  ele- 
ments, offer  a 
world  of  sugges- 
tion to  the  young  craftsman,  and  open  up 
ideas  for  future  use.  Do  not  attempt  to 
copy  such  work,  but  study  the  principles 
of  contrasted  line,  texture,  and  form.  A 
grasp  of  the  method  of  building  up  all 
work  out  of  thin  sheet,  will  help  you  to 
apply  these  principles  for  yourself. 


176 


CHAPTER  XX 


Gold  Necklace  with  Pendant  Fleurs  de  Lis — The 
Brass  Mold — Burnishing  the  Gold  over  the 
Matrix — Another  Method  of  Making  Fleurs  de 
Lis — Engraved  Matrices 

Take  a piece  of  brass  large  enough  and  Gold  Neck- 
thick  enough  for  the  pendant,  and  having 
carefully  transferred  to  it  the  outline  of 
your  pattern,  pierce  out  the  shape  with 
the  saw,  and  file  it  up 
to  the  shape  of  the 
pendant  (fig.  115), 
omitting  of  course 
the  rings  and  loops 
for  suspension.  Take 
a cement  stick  (fig. 

1 1 6),  which  is  merely 
a short  taper  handle  of 
wood  with  roughened 
end.  A good-sized 
lump  of  engravers' 

cement  is  warmed  in  the  flame  of  the 
blowpipe  or  spirit  lamp  and  fixed  on  the 
roughened  end  of  the  stick;  the  cement 
while  warm  is  pressed  into  any  shape  re- 
quired by  rolling  it  on  a cold  iron  plate 
12  177 


Gold  Neck- 
lace with 
Pendant 


sprinkled  with  water  to  prevent  the 
cement  from  sticking.  In  this  case  you 
will  press  the  warmed  cement  on  the  iron  so 
that  you  get  a level  top  (fig.  n 6).  Take 
the  brass  model,  warm  it,  and  press  it  into 
the  cement  so  that  ex- 
actly half  remains  ex- 
posed. Smooth  the 
cement  down  round  the 
edges  with  a wetted  steel 
spatula.  Cool  it  in  water, 
and  when  cold  take  a 
piece  of  22  gold,  size  2, 
anneal  it  well,  and  with  a 
rounded  burnisher  press 
and  rub  the  gold  over 
the  brass  shape.  Anneal 
the  gold  frequently  at 
first,  and  you  will  find 
the  work  easier.  When 
you  have  got  the  shape 
very  nearly,  warm  the 
gold,  and  press  it  firmly 
on  the  cement  until  it  sticks  (fig.  117). 
Now  with  the  point  of  the  burnisher 
you  can  drive  the  gold  into  the  angles, 
and  finish  the  shape  completely.  Re- 
move the  brass  mold  from  the  cement, 
clean  it  well,  and  refix  it  with  its  other 
178 


face  upward.  Repeat  the  burnishing  Gold  Neck- 
process  with  another  piece  of  gold,  cut  kce  with 
away  the  surplus  metal  from  the  outside  Pendant 
with  the  shears,  and  file  up  the  edges 
until  the  two  fit  perfectly  together  (see 
fig.  1 1 5),  and  boil  them  out.  You  will 


Fig.  i 1 7. 


now  need  to  strengthen  the  two  halves  of 
the  ornament,  so  that  they  may  not  get 
crushed  out  of  shape  after  being  fastened 
together.  Take  snippings  of  silver  or 
short  lengths  of  silver  wire  curved  to  fit 
the  hollows  at  the  back  of  each  half,  and 

179 


Gold  Neck-  solder  them  in  place  with  panels  of 
lace  with  1 8-carat  solder,  made  by  adding  6 grains 
Pendant  Gf  fine  s}iver  to  every  dwt.  of  fine  gold, 
or,  if  you  use  the  scraps  and  filings  from 
the  22-carat,  4 grains  of  fine  silver  to  each 
dwt.  of  scrap.  This  done,  boil  the  work 
clean,  tie  the  two  halves  together  with 
fine  binding-wire,  fitting  the  edges  very 
closely  to  each  other  or  the  solder  will  not 
flush  properly.  Remember  that  in  gold 
work  you  can  not  fit  too  closely ; in  silver 
work,  on  the  contrary,  if  the  work  fits  too 
well,  the  solder  runs  along  the  surface 
and  not  into  the  join.  When  all  the  joins 
are  soldered  the  work  can  be  filed  up  and 
the  hanging  rings  fixed.  The  smaller 
sizes  will  be  made  in  like  manner.  If  you 
wish  for  more  elaborate  forms  you  can 
model  the  shape  in  wax,  and  having  made 
a plaster  matrix,  make  a cast  in  type 
metal.  You  can  now  rub  the  gold  over 
the  type  metal  cast  in  the  same  way  as 
over  the  brass  model ; or,  having  made 
the  plaster  matrix,  you  can  take  a zinc 
cast  of  it  in  a sand  mold,  and  rub  the 
gold  into  it  instead  of  over  it.  Any  irreg- 
ularities in  the  mold  can  be  removed 
by  chasing  the  surface  with  repousse 
tools. 

180 


Another  method  is  to  take  a thick  Gold  Neck- 
piece of  brass  large  enough  for  your  pur-  lace  with 
pose,  and  having  hammered  the  surface  Pendant 
carefully  to  make  the  metal  uniformly 
dense  and  tough,  take  a scorper,  and  with 
it  hollow  out  a matrix  of  the  form  you 
require.  The  surface  of  the  ornament 
can  be  further  modeled  up  with  rounded 
chasing  tools  to  almost  any  degree  of  fine- 
ness. The  effect  of  your  work  can  be 
seen  by  oiling  the  metal  and  taking  fre- 
quent impressions  in  wax  or  modeling 
paste.  Into  this  mold  the  thin  sheet 
gold  can  either  be  rubbed  or  beaten  in 
with  a hammer  and  a strip  of  lead  (see 
fig.  1 1 8).  The  lead  prevents  injury 
either  to  the  mold  or  the  metal,  and  by 
spreading  out  under  the  blow,  forces  the 
gold  into  all  parts  of  the  mold.  If  fine 
silver  is  used  it  can  with  care  be  hammered 
solid  into  the  mold,  and  then  filed  off  true. 

In  all  these  methods  it  is  well  to  re- 
member that  the  forms  must  be  clear,  and 
studied  closely  from  nature,  or  based  on 
some  form  which  you  have  found  by 
experience  looks  well  in  work. 

There  must  be  no  under-cutting  or  the 
work  will  not  draw  from  the  mold  when 
you  have  beaten  it  in. 


181 


Gold  Neck-  The  plan  of  engraving  matrices  in  brass 
lace  with  was  one  extensively  used  in  old  work. 

Pendant  Many  of  the  elaborate  necklaces  shown 
in  the  gold  room  of  the  British  Museum 
are  made  up  of  simple  forms  produced  in 
molds  like  those  just  described,  then 


Fig.  i i 8. 


soldered  together,  and  linked  up  with 
rough  pearls  and  uncut  stones.  Having 
by  one  or  other  of  the  above  methods 
made  your  pendants,  group  them  round 
the  4^  circle,  and  at  the  points  of  sus- 
pension put  either  a stone,  a simple  boss 
of  gold,  or  a beehive  coil  of  twisted  wire, 
182 


with  a network  or  openwork  of  wire 
round  it.  Solder  three  strong  loops  to 
the  backs  of  these  bosses,  make  some 
lengths  of  chain  and  a snap,  and  loop  the 
whole  together  as  before. 

The  central  pendant  may  be  made 
longer,  and  the  side  ones  hung  in  dimin- 
ishing lengths  from  the  centre.  For  this, 
make  small  half  balls  of  thin  gold,  solder 
backs  to  them,  and  put  a ring  of  twist 
round  the  join.  Fix  two  loops  opposite 
to  each  other  on  the  backs.  These  will 
now  be  linked  up  between  the  pen- 
dants and  the  main  bosses,  completing 
the  necklace. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Locket  or  Pendant  Casket — The  Frame — The  Bezel 
— -The  Hinge — The  Back — Fitting  the  Hinge— 
The  Joint  Tool — Swivel  Loops 

The  student  would  be  well  advised  to 
attempt  this  first  of  all  in  silver,  as  these 
lockets  are  by  no  means  easy  to  make. 
The  fitting  and  the  hanging  require  very 
great  care.  Take  a piece  of  silver,  size 
8,  a little  wider  than  the  full  depth  of 
the  pendant  (fig.  119).  Bend  it  up  into 

1 83 


Gold  Neck- 
lace with 
Pendant 


Locket  or 
Pendant 
Casket 


Locket  or  the  shape  of  the  outline  in  fig.  1 20,  and 
Pendant  solder  the  two  ends  firmly  together.  Next 
Casket  take  two  plates  of  size  6,  one  for  the 
back  and  one  for  the  front,  dome  slightly, 
and  solder  them  to  the  outline  frame. 
File  the  surplus  metal  from  the  edges  and 
mark  the  center  line  down  the  sides  of  the 


frame,  and  saw  the  box  apart  lengthwise 
(fig.  1 21  a).  You  have  now  two  halves 
which  exactly  fit  each  other.  Mark  the 
sides,  which  should  come  together  so  that 
you  may  readily  fit  the  two  in  the  right 
place.  Next  take  a strip  of  No.  5,  a little 
deeper  than  the  sides  of  each  half  locket, 
184 


bend  it  to  fit  exactly  within  the  locket,  and 
solder  it  in  place  (fig.  i2ib).  This  is  to 
form  the  bezel  on  which  the  lid 
fits,  and  by  which  the  lid  is  held 
firmly  in  place.  Now  boil  the 
work  clean  and  fit  the  two  to- 
gether. Having  drawn  a short 
length  of  small  tube  from  which 
to  make  the  hinge,  with  a small 
round  file  or  a joint  file  make  a 
deep  groove  along  the  line  of  the 
joint  (fig.  122).  It  should  be  as 
deep  as  possible,  so  that  the  tube 
may  not  project  and  spoil  the  out- 
line of  the  pendant.  Cut  off*  three  lengths 
of  the  tube,  so  that  the  three  together 
just  fill  the  space  provided  for  the  hinge. 
File  the  ends  of  these  short  lengths  true  and 
square  in  the  joint-tool  (fig.  120).  Mark 


JOINT 


Fig. 


21  A. 


Fig.  121B. 


Locket  or 
Pendant 
Casket 


the  position  of  the  center  one,  and  after 
taking  apart  the  two  halves,  of  the  locket, 
solder  the  center  length  of  tube  in  its 
place  on  one  half  of  the  locket  and  the 
other  two  lengths  on  their  half.  The 

185 


Locket  or 
Pendant 
Casket 


loop  can  now  be  soldered  on.  It  can  be 
either  a plain  or  a swivel  loop. 

A swivel  loop  is  made  as  already  de- 
scribed in  the  chapter  on  Pendants,  only 
instead  of  having  the  small  rings  at  the 
bottom  a hole  is  drilled  up  through  the 
point  of  the  loop  and  a wire,  beaded  at  one 


Fig.  122.  Fig.  123. 


end,  is  slipped  in,  and  bent  over  to  form 
a ring  below  the  loop  (fig.  123).  This 
ring  should  be  soldered.  The  swivel  and 
the  hole  must  be  painted  with  a little 
rouge  and  water,  so  that  the  solder  may 
not  run  and  make  a solid  instead  of  a 
swivel  joint.  Stones  may  be  set  on  the 
front  and  the  front  panel  cut  away,  leaving 
a narrow  rim.  An  enamel  panel  can  then 
be  fixed  in  from  the  back,  as  described  in 
the  chapter  on  Settings. 

186 


CHAPTER  XXII 

Carving  in  Metal — Where  Carving  is  Necessary — 
Making  the  Tools — Tempering — The  Wax 
Model — The  Use  of  the  Chisels — Finishing — 
The  Spiral  Knop — The  Wreathed  Setting 

Small  figures,  wreaths,  sprays,  and  small 
animals  and  birds,  can  be  very  easily 
carved  out  of  the  solid  metal.  As  men- 
tioned in  another  chapter,  where  the  work 
is  to  be  enameled,  it  is 
necessary  that  it  should  be 
carved  out  of  a material 
which  is  perfectly  even  in 
texture  or  the  enamel  will 
fly  off.  The  tools  required 
are  exceedingly  simple.  A 
few  chisels  of  various  sizes 
made  out  of  short  lengths 
of  bar  steel,  a chasing- 
hammer,  and  a few  files  and 
ordinary  repousse  tools  will 
alone  be  necessary. 

To  Make  the  Tools .- — Cut 
off  a few  5-inch  lengths  of  square  bar  steel  of 
different  sizes  and  different  widths ; soften 
the  ends  by  heating  them  to  a cherry  red. 
Let  them  cool  gradually.  File  the  ends 

187 


Carving 

Metal 


Carving  in  of  each  into  a blunt  bevel  (see  fig.  124 
Metal  A,  B).  Fig.  125  shows  an  enlarged  view 
of  the  cutting  end  of  the  tool.  Fix  each  in 
the  vise  and  file  off  the  square  edges  along 
the  sides  and  the  top,  so 
that  the  tool  will  be  more 
comfortable  to  the  hand. 
It  will  be  well  to  have  one 
or  two  made  with  a rounded 
bevel  like  a gouge,  and  one 
with  a rather  sharp  beveled 
edge  for  occasional  use. 
Having  got  them  filed  up 
into  shape,  and  the  sides 
and  top  made  nice  and 
smooth  with  emery-cloth,  harden  each  by 
heating  it  to  a cherry  red  and  dropping  it 
into  a bucket  of  cold  water. 

They  will  now  need  tempering.  First 
brighten  the  metal  at  the  cutting  edge  by 
rubbing  it  on  emery-cloth.  Then  hold  the 
tool  in  the  flame  until  the  first  pale  straw 
color  comes.  Have  ready  a vessel  of  cold 
water,  and  as  soon  as  the  color  appears, 
cool  the  tool  in  the  water.  When  all 
have  been  treated,  you  will  be  ready  to 
begin  to  work. 

Take  your  lump  of  silver  or  gold, 
hammer  it  well  all  over  to  make  it  more 

188 


dense  and  uniform  in  texture.  It  is  well 
to  have  the  metal  longer  than  the  object 
you  wish  to  carve,  so  that  you  can  hold 
it  in  a small  bench-vise  while  carving. 

Before  beginning,  it  is  wise  to  take  the 
precaution  of  making  a model  in  wax  of 
the  subject  you  intend  to  carve.  Block 
out  the  principal  masses  with  the  gouge- 
shaped chisel.  Do  not  be  too  eager  to 
get  down  to  the  surface  of  your  model. 
It  is  better  to  get  the  action  and  move- 
ment before  attempting  modeling  in  de- 
tail. Then,  with  the  smaller  chisels  you 
can  go  over  the  work,  and  realize  the  form 
more  completely,  taking  care  always  to 
drive  the  chisel  along  the  line  of  the  bevel 
which  rests  upon  the  work  (see  fig.  124  c). 
At  this  stage  you  may  take  the  work  out 
of  the  vise  and  put  it  on  the  pitch-block, 
and  work  it  up  with  repousse  tools.  Oval 
matting-tools,  with  a slightly  rounded 
surface,  will  be  found  very  useful  for  this. 
Use  the  chisels  now  and  then  to  remove 
any  metal  which  by  repeated  working  has 
become  too  hard  to  yield  to  the  tracing-tool. 
With  smooth  punches  and  tracers  you  can 
get  almost  any  degree  of  fineness  of  work. 
If,  however,  the  work  is  to  be  afterward 
enameled,  it  is  useless  to  spend  too  much 

189 


Carving  in 
Metal 


Carving  in  time  upon  surface  modeling ; a great  deal 
Metal  must  be  left  to  be  done  in  the  enameling. 

Sprays  of  leaves  and  flowers  or  knops 
of  leafage  can  be  very  easily  produced 
by  this  method  in  the  following  manner. 
Suppose  you  wish  to  carve  a spiral  knop 

of  nut  leaves. 
Take  a piece  of 
1 6 - gage  silver, 
beat  it  into  a 
dome  of  the  size 
anddepthofyour 
knop.  Anneal 
the  metal.  Now 
draw  with  a fine 
brush  and  Indian 
ink  the  spiral 
twigs  and  the 
masses  of  leaves. 
See  that  branches 
or  twigs  stretch  from  each  line  of  the  spiral 
to  the  lines  above  and  below  it  (fig.  126). 
This  is  in  order  that  the  knop  may  be  strong 
all  over.  With  a drill  and  a fret-saw  pierce 
out  the  interspaces.  Take  your  gravers, 
begin  with  the  round  scorper,  after  wetting 
the  tip  of  the  tool  and  cut  grooves  length- 
wise along  the  twigs,  so  that  the  spiral 
growth  of  the  twig  is  emphasized.  Next, 
190 


with  a flat  scorper  cut  the  groups  of  leaves 
so  as  to  show  their  overlapping.  With  a 
small  gouge  you  can  now  vein  the  leaves  and 
add  any  necessary  finishing  touches  to  the 
twigs.  The  knop  may  be  finished  up  still 
further  by  putting  it  upon  the  pitch  and  add- 
ing any  refinements  of  detail  you  may  desire. 

How  to  Carve  a Wreathed  Setting.— A 
fine  stone  will 
often  look  well 
in  a conical 
wreathed  setting 
carved  out  of 
thicksheetmetal 
(fig.  127).  Mark 
out  the  section 
of  the  setting  at  A,  fig.  128.  Produce 
the  sides  till  they  meet.  From  this  point 
as  center  draw  circles  as  shown.  On  the 
base  make  a semicircle,  and  divide  it  into 
any  number  of  equal  parts,  say  16.  Set 
out  these  on  the  larger  segment,  join  the 
last  point  to  the  center.  The  enclosed 
form  is  that  required  to  make  the  setting. 
Cut  this  shape  out  with  the  shears, 
bend  the  metal  up  to  fit  the  stone,  and 
solder  the  edges.  Draw  on  this  (fig.  129) 
a wavy  spiral  of  twigs,  and  while  keeping 
the  design  very  open,  see  that  the  various 

191 


Carving  in 
Metal 


Carving  in 
Metal 


192 


branches  and  leaves  are  well  knit  together. 
Pierce  out  the  interspaces  with  the  drill 
and  saw.  Then  take  an  engraving-stick 
and  a piece  of  gold-beater's  skin,  warm 
the  cement  on  the  stick,  and  shape  it  with 
a wetted  thumb  and  forefinger  just  to  fit 
the  setting.  Place  the  skin  over  the  warmed 
cement,  and 
press  the  set- 
ting,  also 
warmed,  well 
down  upon  the 
s kin-covered 
surface.  The  Fig-  I29- 

cement  will  press  the  skin  out  through 
the  holes  in  the  setting,  and  when  cold 
will  keep  it  firmly  in  its  place.  Unless 
the  skin  is  used  the  cement  is  apt  to  spread 
all  over  the  metal,  so  that  you  can  not  see 
what  you  are  doing.  You  can  now  carve 
the  work  with  scorpers,  as  before  described. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

Casting — The  Cuttlefish  Mold — Flasks — The  Loam- 
Smoking  the  Mold — Slate  or  Bath-brick  Molds 

Very  small  castings,  such  as  reliefs  to  set 
in  rings  and  sprays  of  foliage,  heads,  birds, 

13  T93 


Carving  in 
Metal 


Casting 


Casting  etc.,  can  very  easily  be  done  in  cuttlefish 
bone.  Choose  a clean  and  perfect  speci- 
men cuttlefish,  cut  it  in  half,  and  rub  each 
face  perfectly  fiat.  Insert  three  small 
register  pegs  in  one  face  (fig.  130),  leaving 
plenty  of  room  between  for  the  pattern. 
Press  the  two  faces  together,  so  that  they 


Fig.  130. 


fit  absolutely  close.  Lay  the  pattern, 
which  must  not  be  anywhere  undercut, 
in  the  space  between  the  pegs,  and  press 
the  two  halves  of  the  mold  carefully  and 
firmly,  so  that  you  may  get  a perfectly 
clear  impression.  Take  them  apart,  re- 
194 


move  the  pattern,  make  a funnel-shaped 
channel  for  the  metal,  also  channels  for 
air-holes,  leading  radially  outward  (fig. 
13 1),  and  tie  the  mold  up  with  binding- 


wire  (fig.  132).  Make  a little  pit  in  a 
piece  of  charcoal  large  enough  to  take 
the  gold  or  silver  you  wish  to  melt,  tie 

195 


Casting 


Casting  the  charcoal  to  the  top  of  the  mold,  so 
that  the  pit  comes  opposite  the  channel 
or  “ pour.”  Make  another  channel  from 
the  hollow  in  the  charcoal  to  the  channel 
in  the  mold.  Now  put  your  gold  or 
silver  in  the  charcoal,  melt  it  with  the 
blowpipe,  adding  a little  borax  to  aid  the 
fusion,  and  when  the  metal  runs  into  a 
clear  shining  molten  globe,  tilt  the  mold 


Fig.  132. 


so  that  the  metal  runs  in.  Let  it  cool, 
and  the  task  is  complete. 

Casting  in  Sand. — For  this  work  you 
will  need  a pair  of  casting  flasks,  fine 
casting  sand  or  loam,  some  black  lead 
and  French  chalk  in  powder,  and  a mus- 
lin bag  full  of  pea-flour  to  dust  over  the 
patterns  and  the  surfaces  of  the  mold. 
Casting  flasks  are  two  equal-sized  frames 

196 


of  cast-iron,  one  of  which  has  flanges  Casting 
carrying  pegs  which  fit  into  holes  in  cor- 
responding flanges  on  the  other  frame. 

The  first  is  called  the  peg  side,  the  second 
the  eye  side.  Lay  the  eye  side  flange 
downward  on  a perfectly  flat,  smooth 
board.  Within  this,  rather  near  to  the 
funnel-shaped  entrance  to  the  flask,  the 
pattern  will  afterward  be  laid.  We  will 
suppose  it  to  be  a piece  of  relief  work  with 
a flat  back.  It  should  be  well  rubbed  over 
with  black  lead,  so  that  the  sand  may  not 
stick  to  it. 

Now  take  some  handfuls  of  the  molding- 
sand  and  loam,  wet  the  mixture  with  water 
sprinkled  over  it,  just  enough  being  used 
to  make  the  loam  bind.  When  you  have 
mixed  loam  and  sand  thoroughly,  press  it 
down  and  beat  it  well  into  the  mold  with 
a mallet.  Strike  the  upper  surface  level 
with  a straight-edge,  and,  having  placed  a 
bit  of  board  upon  the  mold,  turn  it  over 
eye  side  upward.  Dust  the  surface  of 
the  mold  with  finely  powdered  brick  dust. 

This  is  to  prevent  the  two  surfaces  of  the 
mold  from  sticking  together.  Lay  the 
pattern,  which  must  be  well  brushed  over 
with  black  lead,  upon  the  surface  of  the 
mold  on  the  center  line,  but  not  too  near 

,197 


Casting  the  opening  into  the  mold.  If  the  pat- 
tern is  placed  too  near  the  opening  the 
weight  of  metal  above  the  pattern  will  not 
be  sufficient  when  it  is  being  poured  in  to 
force  the  liquid  metal  into  all  the  crevices 
of  the  matrix.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
must  not  be  too  far  away  or  it  may  take 
more  metal  than  you  happen  to  have  at 
your  disposal.  Take  the  pattern,  press  it 
half-way  into  the  mold,  dust  the  whole 
surface  of  the  pattern  and  the  mold  with 
fine  brick  dust.  Now  place  the  peg  side 
in  position,  press  the  loam  very  carefully 
in  by  hand,  and  then  beat  it  well  in  with 
the  mallet.  Take  the  peg  side  off,  blow 
away  loose  particles  of  sand  from  each 
side,  and  very  carefully  remove  the  pattern. 
The  mold  must  now  be  dusted  with 
powdered  charcoal  or  pea-flour,  or  smoked 
with  a burning  taper,  and  the  pattern  once 
more  placed  in  position,  the  two  halves 
pressed  firmly  together,  so  as  to  take  the 
final  impression  of  the  pattern.  Loosen 
the  sand  over  the  pattern  with  a knife, 
and  then  drive  it  home  again  with  re- 
peated blows  with  the  mallet.  Remove 
the  pattern,  make  the  pour  and  a few 
air-channels  leading  away  from  any  promi- 
nent part  of  the  pattern,  so  that  the 
198 


air  can  escape  when  driven  out  by  the 
inrush  of  the  molten  metal.  The  molds 
should  now  be  put  over  a gas-burner  to 
dry,  which  must  be  done  very  thoroughly. 
When  it  is  quite  dry  melt  your  metal  in  a 
good-sized  crucible,  and  while  the  mold 
is  warm  pour  the  metal  quickly  in.  The 
casting  when  cool  can  be  filed  up  and 
chased  as  much  as  you  wish. 

The  methods  just  described  are  only 
useful  for  comparatively  rough  work  to 
be  afterward  chased.  When  a fine  sur- 
faced cast  is  required,  or  when  there  is 
much  detail  in  the  model,  the  molds 
must  be  made  as  described  in  chapters 
XXXI.  and  XXXII. 

Molds  for  simple  objects  may  be  made 
of  slate,  steatite,  or  bath  brick.  The  forms 
desired  can  very  easily  be  hollowed  out  of 
any  of  these  materials.  Bath  brick,  how- 
ever, will  only  serve  for  a few  casts,  while 
the  others  will  last  for  a long  time.  There 
are  several  interesting  specimens  of  these 
molds,  with  examples  of  the  work  pro- 
duced by  them,  in  the  medieval  room  of 
the  British  Museum. 


Casting 


199 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  Work — General  Considerations — Requisites 
— Cloisonne  Work — Filling  the  Cells — Mount- 
ing the  Enamel — Champleve  Enamel — The  Tools 
— Use  of  Gold  Solder — Limoges  Enamel — Net- 
work Enamel — Setting  the  Enamel — Deep-cut 
Enamel 

The  use  of  enamel  in  jewelry  is  to  add 
richness  and  color.  It  should  not  be 
used  in  large  masses  or  the  effect  will 
be  heavy,  and  the  most  valuable  quality 
of  enamel,  which  is  preciousness,  will  be 
lost.  The  colors  used  should  be  pure 
and  brilliant  and  few  in  number.  As  a 
general  rule  each  color  should  be  sepa- 
rated from  its  neighbor  by  a line  of  metal, 
and  be  also  bordered  by  a line  of  metal. 
That  is  to  say,  where  the  enamel  is  used 
to  decorate  a surface  it  should  be  enclosed 
in  cells,  made  either  by  cutting  them  out 
of  the  surface  with  gravers  and  scorpers, 
or  by  raising  the  walls  of  the  cells  from 
the  back,  or  by  soldering  flattened  wire 
bent  to  shape  edgewise  to  form  the  cell 
walls  or  cloisons : the  cloisons  form  a 
kind  of  network  which  encloses  the  enamel 
in  its  meshes  and  carries  the  metal  con- 


200 


struction  through  the  design.  The  color 
and  sheen  of  the  metal  outline  harmonize 
the  different  colors  with  each  other,  and 
give  a greater  brilliancy  of  effect  than  can 
be  obtained  by  any  other  means.  The  color 
of  the  metal,  in  fact,  is  a valuable  ground 
tint.  The  limitations  of  this  method  are 
great,  but  in  those  very  limitations  lies  the 
strength  of  the  student.  The  scheme  must 
be  completely  thought  out,  the  outline 
must  be  clear,  and  the  color  clean  and 
pure.  Nothing  can  be  left  to  chance. 
Many  valuable  hints  can  be  gained  by  a 
careful  study  of  Indian  enamel  work  ; that 
of  Jeypore  in  particular  is  full  of  suggest- 
iveness and  beauty.  Enamel  may  be  used 
as  a background  for  set  stones,  or  an  effect 
of  color  made  the  motive  of  a design,  but 
in  all  cases  care  should  be  taken  to  secure 
a clear  metal  outline. 

For  translucent  enamel  pictures  themetal 
outline  can  not  of  course  be  used ; but  in 
this  case  the  whole  picture  should  be  small 
enough  to  set  as  a jewel.  The  burnished 
edge  of  the  setting  then  takes  the  place  of 
the  metal  outline. 

Large  plaques  of  enamel  are  unsuitable 
for  personal  ornament.  If  enamel  is  to  be 
used  on  small  figure  subjects,  the  figures 

201 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  should  either  be  beaten  up  in  the  round 
Work  from  sheet,  or  carved  out  of  solid  metal. 
Enamel  rarely  stands  on  cast  work,  partly 
because  of  the  inequality  of  texture  of  the 
metal,  and  partly  because  the  metal  is  so 
full  of  minute  air-holes.  It  will  hold  for 
a time,  especially  if  soft ; but  sooner  or 
later  will  fly  off  in  the  form  of  tiny  flakes. 
This  can  in  some  measure  be  prevented 
by  stabbing  the  ground  of  the  enamel 
with  a sharp  graver,  so  that  little  points 
of  metal  are  left  sticking  up  all  over  the 
surface.  These  hold  the  enamel  fairly 
well,  but  you  can  never  be  sure  that  it  will 
not  flake  off  just  where  it  will  most  be 
seen.  The  best  grounds  for  enamel  are 
fine  alloy  copper,  fine  silver,  fine  gold,  and 
22-carat  gold. 

The  various  methods  of  enameling  will 
probably  be  familiar  to  most  students, 
through  Mr.  Cunynghame’s  recent  work 
on  the  subject.  It  will  therefore  be  un- 
necessary to  do  more  than  to  treat  each 
process  briefly,  and  refer  those  who  may 
desire  fuller  information  to  that  work. 

Requisites The  following  things  will 
be  found  useful : — 

A china  mortar  and  pestle. 

A small  agate  mortar  and  pestle. 

202 


A nest  of  covered  palettes  as  used  for 
water-colors. 

A slab  of  ground  glass  about  12  inches 
square. 

A large  rounded  hematite  burnisher. 

A few  wide-mouthed  glass  bottles  with 
corks,  to  hold  the  enamels. 

A few  pieces  of  sheet  iron.  Some  bind- 
ing-wire. 

A corundum  file. 

A small  flask  of  hydrofluoric  acid.  A 
6-inch  dipping-tube,  made  of  £-inch  tube, 
to  use  with  this  acid.  A lead  trough 
made  by  bending  up  the  sides  of  a square 
of  rolled  sheet-lead— that  at  5 lbs.  to  the 
foot  will  do. 

A good  strong  painter's  palette-knife. 

A long-handled  pair  of  tongs. 

A muffle-furnace,  or,  for  small  work,  a 
crucible. 

Cloisonne. —How  to  make  a Brooch  in 
Cloisonne  Enamel. — -Take  a piece  of  22-carat 
gold,  size  4,  the  size  of  a shilling,  and 
with  a good-sized  burnisher  rub  it  into  a 
very  flat  dome.  Draw  a piece  of  gold-wire 
through  an  oblong-holed  draw-plate  until  it 
is  about  size  10.  Bend  it  into  a ring  a little 
smaller  than  the  disk.  Solder  the  ends 
of  the  wire  together  in  the  flame  with 

203 


Enamel 

Work 


I 


Enamel  t 8-carat  solder.  Make  both  disk  and  ring 
Work  clean,  and  solder  the  ring  so  that  it  makes 
a rim  to  the  plate.  Have  ready  some 
flattened  gold  wire,  drawn  several  sizes 
smaller  than  the  first,  and  having  decided 
on  your  design,  bend  the  wire  edgewise 
into  the  shape  required  ; dip  it  into  borax 
water,  and  place  it  in  position.  Get  a sec- 
tion of  the  design  done  in  this  way,  then 
charge  the  work  with  snippets  of  1 8-carat 
solder  and  tack  the  wires  in  their  places. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  flush  the  joints  fully. 
Boil  the  work  out  and  proceed  until  the 
panel  is  complete  (fig.  133). 

Some  enamelers  do  not  solder  the  cloi- 
sons,  but  if  they  are  not  soldered,  when 
the  enamel  is  fired  again  the  cloisons  may 
float  about  and  get  out  of  place.  Still  if 
the  gold  back  is  thick,  and  a few  of  the 
main  cloisons  and  the  outer  ring  are  sol- 
dered, the  remainder  can  well  be  left  to  be 
fixed  by  the  melting  of  the  enamel. 

Now,  having  chosen  your  enamel,  sup- 
pose opal  for  the  ground,  green  for  the 
leaves,  blue  for  the  dividing  rays ; grind 
up  each  color  separately  in  the  small  agate 
mortar,  and  when  it  is  like  fine  sand, 
wash  away  the  milky  portion  of  the  en- 
amel by  pouring  clean  water  over  it  until 
204 


Enamel 

Work 


2°5 


Enamel  the  residue  is  clear,  sparkling,  and  crystal- 
Work  line.  Now,  with  a small  spatula  fill  each 
cell  or  cloison  with  the  proper  color, 
taking  care  that  no  grains  of  color  get 
into  neighboring  cells.  Drain  away  the 
superfluous  water  with  bits  of  clean  blot- 
ting-paper, fill  the  other  cells,  and  dry 
them  in  like  manner.  You  will  now  make 
a support  out  of  a square  of  thin  sheet- 
iron,  having  the  center  bossed  up  to  fit  the 
underside  of  the  brooch.  Paint  this  over 
with  loam  or  whitening  and  water  with 
a little  borax  added.  When  it  is  dry, 
place  the  work  upon  the  support,  and 
having  dried  the  enamel  on  an  iron  plate 
heated  by  a spirit  lamp  or  a Bunsen  burner, 
place  it  in  the  muffle  for  about  a minute 
until  the  enamel  fuses.  Take  it  out,  and 
boil  in  dilute  acid  to  remove  the  dark 
scale  of  oxide  which  has  formed  on  the 
surface.  You  will  find  that  the  enamel 
on  fusing  has  greatly  shrunk  in  volume ; 
refill  the  cells  with  the  same  enamels  as 
before  and  refire,  repeating  the  process 
until  the  cells  are  full.  When  this  happens, 
smooth  the  whole  surface  with  a corundum 
file  and  water,  wash  the  grit  away  with 
a little  hydrofluoric  acid  and  water  (use 
India-rubber  finger-stalls  for  this  work,  and 
20  6 


take  care  not  to  get  any  of  the  acid  on 
your  flesh).  You  can  now  fire  the  work 
again,  just  enough  to  glaze  the  surface, 
and  after  picking  away  the  scale  of  oxid, 
polish  it  with  putty  on  a soft  buff.  Make 
a frame  and  a setting  for  it  out  of  20  or 
22-carat  gold — the  frame  would  be  a piece 
of  flat  wire  or  a strip  of  No.  7 gage  bent 
round  flatwise  into  a flat  ring  and  soldered. 
On  this  you  will  fix  the  thin  band,  size 
No.  3 or  4,  to  fit  the  enamel  panel.  In 
the  angle  between  the  edge  of  the  flat  ring 
and  the  upright  face  of  the  setting  you 
may  solder  a row  of  small  grains  alter- 
nately with  lengths  of  plain  wire  thus 

»■«>'  m 1 1 11—  o • • o • • • « o • > o 

or  double  rows  of  right  and  left  hand  twist 
in  short  lengths,  with  small  half-domes 
of  thin  gold  soldered  on  at  intervals.  The 
catch  and  joint  can  now  be  made  of  18- 
carat  gold,  and  a pin  out  of  9-carat  gold. 
When  the  frame  and  pin  have  been  polished, 
the  enamel  center  can  be  set  and  the  edge 
burnished  over  evenly  all  round. 

It  is  quite  possible  to  solder  the  ring 
which  takes  the  joint  and  catch  on  the 
back  of  the  brooch  before  the  cloisons  are 
soldered  on.  The  joints  and  the  soldered 

207 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel 

Work 


rim  are  protected  from  the  heat  by  whiten- 
ing or  loam;  the  whole  thing  is  then  put 
in  the  furnace.  Great  care,  however,  is 
needed  lest  the  joint  or  catch  should  drop 
off  in  the  muffle.  The  latter  way  is  the 
simpler  looking,  and  the  possibility  of  an 
imperfect  setting  is  avoided.  The  brooch 
can  also  be  made  in  fine  silver,  but  if  the 
last-named  method  is  used  for  the  catch 
it  must  be  soldered  with  1 8 -carat  gold 
solder ; silver  solder  eats  holes  in  the 
metal  when  heated  in  the  muffle. 

Champleve  Enamel — How  to  Make  a 
Buckle  in  Enamel.— Take  a piece  of  fine 
silver,  size  15,  and  mark  out  upon  it  the 
size  of  the  buckle.  Dome  the  center 
slightly,  and  make  a flattened  border 
round  the  dome  (fig.  134).  The  pattern 
you  devise  had  better  be  a simple  one  for 
the  first  attempt.  That  given  above  you 
will  probably  find  fairly  simple  to  cut  and 
yet  elaborate  enough  to  give  you  plenty  of 
opportunity  for  arrangements  of  color. 
Before  setting  to  work  on  the  silver  it 
will  be  well  to  make  one  or  two  trials  on 
copper.  Fix  the  metal  either  on  an  en- 
graver's block  with  cement  or  on  an 
ordinary  pitch-block,  or,  if  the  work  be 
small  enough,  on  an  engraving  stick. 

14  209 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel 

Work 


Have  ready  a few  scorpers  of  different 
sizes  and  shapes  (see  figs.  135,  136), 
flat,  half-round,  and  pointed,  and  a good 
oil  stone.  Hold  the  scorper  blade  between 
the  thumb  and  forefinger,  and  the  handle 
in  the  hollow  of  the  palm.  The  point 
of  the  tool  is  guided  by 
the  thumb,  and  driven 
by  the  pressure  of  the 
palm.  A little  practise, 
or  a few  moments'  in- 
struction from  a practical 
engraver,  will  soon  put 
you  in  the  right  way. 
First  wet  the  tip  of  the 
tool,  make  a sloping  cut 
round  the  borders  of  the 
parts  to  be  sunk,  the 
deepest  part  of  the  cut 
being  next  the  outline 
and  a little  within  it,  then 
remove  the  central  por- 
tions with  a half-round 
scorper;  then  take  a straight  scorper,  and 
go  all  over  the  ground  with  a rocking 
side-to-side  motion  of  the  tool,  making 

a zigzag  cut  thus  i . This  roughens  the 

ground,  and  makes  the  enamel  hold 
210 


better  than  on  a smooth  surface.  If  trans-  Enamel 
lucent  enamels  are  used,  however,  this  sur-  Work 
face  has  a mechanical  look  which  is  rather 
objectionable,  and  if  the  sides  of  each  cell 
are  slightly  undercut  the  enamel  will  hold 
quite  well.  When  you  have  got  the  whole 


Fig.  136. 

pattern  cleanly  cut  you  can  now  fix  the 
bars  which  are  to  carry  the  belt,  and  solder 
them  firmly  with  1 8-carat  gold  solder,  or 
with  a specially  hard  alloy  of  silver  and 
copper  composed  of— 


21 1 


Enamel 

Work 


Fine  silver 
Fine  copper 


oz. 

i 

o 


dwt.  grs. 

O O 

5 o 


If  the  latter  is  used  the  soldered  portions 
must  be  carefully  protected  from  the  heat 
of  the  furnace  by  loam  and  whitening  or 
plaster  of  Paris  and  borax.  When  the 
soldering  is  done  you  must  go  over  the 
work  again  with  a flat  scorper,  and  remove 
the  white  skin  or  “ boil  ” produced  by  the 
pickle.  If  this  is  not  done  the  enamel 
will  not  hold. 

The  next  thing  is  the  enameling.  The 
best  colors  for  silver  are  blues,  greens, 
purples,  and  opal.  A good  scheme  for 
this  buckle  would  be  deep  but  not  dark 
blue,  rich  apple  green,  and  opal  and  dark 
green  in  the  outer  border.  Grind  the 
enamels  as  before  described,  but  not  too 
finely.  The  coarser  you  can  use  the 
enamel  the  better  the  color;  wash  each 
clear  of  milkiness,  and  fill  every  cell  with 
its  proper  color ; dry  the  work,  and  fire 
in  the  muffle  on  a cradle  of  sheet-iron 
made  to  fit  the  back  of  the  buckle,  or  in 
a crucible  with  a cover,  using  a blowpipe 
and  foot-bellows.  Greater  brilliancy  can  be 

212 


obtained  by  usingclear  flux  as  the  first  layer, 
and  adding  the  colors  only  after  the  first 
firing ; or  in  some  of  the  cells  a ground 
of  flux  can  be  laid,  and  bits  of  gold  foil, 
pricked  full  of  holes  (with  a bunch  of  fine 
needles  set  in  a cork),  can  be  laid  on  the 
flux,  covered  over  first  with  a thin  layer 
of  flux  and  then  with  a thin  layer  of  green 
or  a fine  red.  The  cells  will  need  refilling 
and  refiring  until  they  are  full.  The  sur- 
face can  now  be  filed  smooth  with  a8 co- 
rundum file,  washed  in  hydrofluoric  and 
water,  refired,  and  the  whole  afterward  pol- 
ished with  rouge. 

How  to  Make  a Pendant  in  Limoges 
Enamels.-— Take  a piece  of  thin  Swedish  or 
9 French  copper  of  the  size  required.  With 
a burnisher  rub  it  into  a slight  dome 
shape,  and  turn  up  the  edge  very  slightly 
all  round  by  burnishing  it  over  the  edge 
of  a round-peened  hammer  fixed  in  a 
vise.  Next  pickle  it  in  dilute  nitric  acid 
until  the  metal  is  perfectly  clean.  Paint 
the  back  of  the  plate  with  gum  tragacanth 
and  water,  and  sprinkle  the  dry  waste 
enamel  which  results  from  the  washings 
over  the  back  from  a pepper-pot  or  tea- 
strainer  ; shake  off  the  superfluous  enamel, 
and  let  it  dry.  Now  take  the  color  you 

213 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  have  selected  for  the  foundation,  grind 
Wofk  it  and  wash  clean,  put  it  in  a china-color 
saucer,  mix  a tiny  drop  of  tragacanth  with 
the  enamel,  and  dab  it  over  the  face  of  the 
plaque  with  a brush.  When  the  whole 
surface  is  evenly  covered,  take  away  any 
superfluous  moisture  with  a bit  of  blotting- 
paper  or  a piece  of  clean,  dry,  old  linen  rag. 
Press  the  enamel  down  evenly  and  smoothly 
all  over  with  a stiff  palette-knife.  Have 
ready  an  iron  cradle  or  support  domed  to 
fit  the  underside  of  the  plaque,  and  painted 
with  loam  or  whitening  as  before  described ; 
dry  the  enamel  over  the  spirit  lamp,  and 
fire  in  the  muffle  or  in  the  crucible  until 
the  surface  is  smooth  enough  to  reflect 
the  palette-knife  when  held  over  it.  Take 
it  out,  let  it  cool  slowly,  and  when  cold 
repair  any  faults  in  the  surface  by  cleaning 
the  metal  in  pickle  and  by  rubbing  down 
with  a corundum  file.  Wash  the  surface 
clean,  repair  the  holes  with  fresh  enamel, 
and  refire.  You  will  now  take  some  silver 
foil,  prick  it  all  over  with  the  needle,  and 
cut  out  leaves,  as  many  as  you  need,  and 
a piece  of  gold  foil  large  enough  for  the 
rose ; fix  them  in  their  places  on  the 
plaque  with  a little  tragacanth,  cover  each 
with  a thin  layer  of  flux,  and  fire  it.  Now 
214 


cover  each  leaf  thinly  with  green,  and  the 
rose  with  red  enamel.  You  can  get  the 
effect  of  slight  modeling  by  laying  the 
enamel  on  the  rose  thicker  at  the  top  of 
the  petals  than  at  the  bottom,  but  it  must 
not  be  too  thick  or  it  will  flake  off  The 
spray  can  now  be  outlined  carefully  and 
firmly  with  a fine-pointed  miniature  brush 
and  shell  gold.  This  outline  can  be  fixed 
by  being  fired.  It  must  not  be  fired  too 
much,  or  the  particles  of  gold  will  sink  into 
the  enamel  and  the  outline  disappear.  The 
work  can  now  be  set  either  as  a pendant, 
as  a panel  in  a necklace,  or  a center  for  a 
buckle  or  clasp. 

How  to  Make  Network  Enamels  or  Plique 
a Jour. — In  this  method  the  enamel  when 
finished  has  no  ground,  but  is  supported 
by  a metal  network  within  the  substance  of 
the  enamel.  Get  a flat  sheet  of  aluminum 
bronze  or  platinum  about  io  gage,  and 
burnish  the  surface  quite  bright.  This  is 
to  form  the  temporary  ground.  Next  take 
a piece  of  stout  silver  or  gold  wire,  and 
bend  it  into  the  shape  of  the  enclosing 
line  of  this  proposed  panel. 

Next  take  some  cloison  wire,  which  you 
can  buy,  or  make  by  drawing  round  wire 
through  a draw-plate  with  oblong  holes  in 

2I5 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  it,  or  the  wire  can  be  drawn  through  a 
Work  square  hole  and  flattened  in  the  rolling- 
mill. 

You  can  make  a draw-plate  out  of  a piece 
of  an  old  flat  file  by  heating  it  red  hot, 
and  driving  a hardened  taper  steel  punch  of 
the  right  size  through  the  steel.  Larger 
holes  can  be  made  by  driving  the  punch 
in  still  farther,  or  the  hole  can  be  made 
smaller  by  beating  the  hole  down  with  a 
rounded  hammer,  and  again  driving  the 
punch  through  to  the  required  distance. 
Take  the  wire  and  bend  it  up  to  form  the 
outline  of  the  leaves,  or  the  fish,  or  what- 
ever pattern  you  may  wish,  and  solder  the 
outlines  together.  Take  great  care  to 
have  the  whole  well  tied  together  (fig. 
137).  The  leaves  should  touch  each 
other,  the  stems,  and,  where  possible,  the 
frame.  The  strength  of  the  work  when 
finished  depends  on  the  thoroughness  with 
which  this  is  done.  You  now  have  the 
skeleton  design.  Boil  it  out  and  scrape 
the  sides  of  the  cloisons  bright,  lay  the 
work  on  the  burnished  plate,  fill  the  cells 
with  ground  enamel  well  washed,  and  fire 
in  a fairly  quick  heat.  Let  it  cool  gradu- 
ally, fill  up  the  cells  where  the  enamel  is 
deficient,  and  refire.  When  all  the  cells 

216 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  are  completely  full  lay  the  work  on  the 
Work  table,  with  the  enamel  upward,  and  give 
the  bronze  a few  sharp  blows,  and  the 
enamel  will  be  released,  and  can  be 
polished  with  emery  and  water,  crocus 
and  water,  and  finished  with  rouge  on  a 
buff. 

If  you  have  no  aluminum  bronze  or 
platinum  use  a sheet  of  copper  about  size 
5,  and  when  the  enamel  is  complete  paint 
the  face  over  with  two  or  three  coats  of 
varnish  to  protect  the  cloisons  if  they  are 
of  silver ; if  they  are  of  gold  no  protection 
is  necessary.  Place  the  whole  in  sulfuric 
acid  and  water — one  part  of  the  acid  to  one 
of  water.  The  copper  will  be  dissolved 
away,  and  when  it  is  as  thin  as  thin  paper, 
can  be  peeled  off.  The  enamel  may  then 
be  polished  as  before  described.  If  the 
openings  in  the  network  are  small  enough, 
i.  e.  about  -J-th  of  an  inch  across,  the 
above  methods  can  be  dispensed  with. 
Hold  the  network  panel  upright,  and  fill 
in  the  spaces  with  enamel  mixed  with  a 
very  little  gum  tragacanth.  When  done, 
fix  it  upright  on  a support  cut  out  of  thin 
sheet-iron.  Fire  it  quickly  in  a very  strong 
fire,  so  that  the  enamel  runs  like  water  in 
the  spaces.  It  must  be  cooled  carefully, 
218 


and  not  taken  away  from  the  heat  too 
suddenly,  or  the  enamels  may  crack  away 
from  the  cloisons  and  the  effect  spoilt. 
A panel  like  fig.  138  would  look  well 
in  a skeleton  setting,  and  would  do  either 
for  a brooch  or  a pendant  for  a necklace. 
Another  way  is  to  cut  out  the  spaces 
with  a piercing-saw,  leaving  the  cloisons 
slightly  thicker,  and  filing  them  down 
afterward.  This  does  away  with  the 
need  of  sol- 
der, but  it  is 
more  labori- 
ous, and  the 
result  lacks 
the  freedom  Fig*  !38* 

and  life  of  the  methods  just  described. 

How  to  do  an  Intaglio  or  Beep-Cut  Enamel . 
— In  this  work  the  forms  are  carved  or 
modeled  below  the  surface  of  the  metal, 
at  the  bottom  of  a shallow  pit,  as  it  were. 
The  pit  is  afterward  filled  up  with  enamel, 
fired,  and  then  ground  and  polished  level 
with  the  surface  of  the  metal.  Where 
the  carving  is  deepest  the  enamel  is  darkest 
in  color,  and  vice  versa . Having  decided 
on  your  design,  suppose  a leaf  pattern 
as  at  A (fig.  137),  take  a piece  of  hardish 
modeling-wax  and  make  a model  in  very 

219 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  low  relief.  When  the  outline  is  clean,  and 
Work  definitely  expresses  your  intention,  make 
a mold  from  it  in  the  finest  plaster  of 
This  will  give  you  a good  idea 
of  the  depth  of  your  cutting. 
Copy  this  in  silver  or  copper— the 
metal  should  not  be  less  than  16 
gage,  or  you  will  soon  cut  through 
to  the  other  side.  Fix  a piece  of 
the  metal,  cut  nearly  to  the  size  and 
shape  you  require,  on  an  engraving 
stick  or  on  a pitch-block,  and  with 
a spit-stick  outline  the  design ; 
then  cut  the  design  deeply  round 
the  edges  within  this  line.  Thus,  if 
for  a leaf,  the  cross-section  of  your 
cutting  would  be  thus  \v/.  The 
stalks  would  be  deep  grooves,  and 
the  flowers  carved  to  suggest  them 
as  nearly  as  possible.  The  sides  of 
the  sinkings  must  be  kept  upright , 
if  they  have  become  irregular,  they 
Fig  139  can  trued  up  with  a justifier, 
which  is  a scorper  ground  with  two 
cutting  edges  at  an  angle  to  each  other  as 
in  fig.  139.  B and  C are  the  cutting  edges. 
When  the  modeling  is  as  complete  as  you 
can  make  it,  and  the  surface  of  it  every- 
where bright,  put  the  enamel  in  and  press 
220 


Paris. 


it  down ; when  fired,  and  the  enamel  filed 
and  polished,  the  relief  is,  as  it  were,  trans- 
lated into  a shaded  drawing  in  color.  If 
you  do  figure-work,  the  faces,  hands,  and 
feet  can  be  left  in  metal  and  afterward 
engraved  in  line,  the  backgrounds  and 
draperies  alone  being  deep  cut  and  enam- 
eled. An  etcher’s  dry-point  is  useful  for 
fine  work  in  the  hair  and  features.  The 
lines  of  the  engraving  can  be  afterward 
filled  in  with  etching-ball  or  thick  black 
paint  or  shoemaker’s  heel-ball. 

Small  figure-panels  in  raised  gold  or 
silver  can  be  produced  by  first  doing  the 
work  in  ordinary  gesso  on  a piece  of 
smooth,  hard  wood.  Fine  silver  or  fine 
gold,  rolled  to  the  thinness  of  common 
note-paper,  is  then  annealed,  and  burnished 
over  the  relief  in  the  same  way  that  a 
schoolboy  makes  the  foil  copies  of  a shil- 
ling. When  the  metal  impression  is  as 
complete  as  the  gesso  original  it  can  be 
fixed  on  the  pitch-block,  and  the  modeling 
carried  still  farther  with  pointed  bur- 
nishers. This,  when  enameled  back  and 
front,  can  be  set  in  a frame  and  fixed 
in  a bracelet  or  a pendant.  Panels  for 
altar-crosses,  candlesticks,  etc.,  can  be 
so  produced.  They  can  be  strengthened 

221 


Enamel 

Work 


Enamel  by  backing  with  cement  composition. 

Work  Make  the  wall  of  the  setting  which  is 
to  enclose  them  •§•  or  J inch  deeper  than 
would  be  necessary  for  the  enamel  itself. 
When  everything  is  ready  for  setting  the 
enamels,  melt  some  rosin  in  a pipkin,  and 
add  to  it  about  half  its  bulk  of  plaster  of 
Paris  or  powdered  whitening ; stir  it  well, 
pour  it  into  the  setting,  warm  the  enamel 
slightly,  and  press  it  into  its  place ; and 
when  cold,  burnish  the  edge  of  the  setting 
carefully  over  the  enamel  and  clean  it 
with  methylated  spirit  and  a soft  rag. 
Almost  any  composition  with  a resinous 
base  which  sets  hard  would,  however, 
serve  the  purpose  equally  well.  Figures 
in  higher  relief  can  be  done  by  taking  a 
cast  in  type-metal  from  a model  in  wax. 
The  thin  metal  is  then  rubbed  and  bur- 
nished over  the  type-metal  and  frequently 
annealed  during  the  process.  Or  the 
reverse  of  the  model  may  be  cast  in  type- 
metal  or  pewter,  and  the  thin  gold  or 
silver  rubbed  into  it.  This,  of  course, 
can  not  be  done  if  there  is  much  under- 
cutting. 


222 


CHAPTER  XXV 


Hinges  for  Casket — -Drawing  the  Tube — The  Man- 
drel—The  Liner — The  Joint  Tool — Soldering 
the  Joints — The  Pin 

Take  a strip  of  metal,  say  size  6,  thrice 
wider  than  the  diameter  of  the  proposed 
hinge.  Suppose  the  hinge  to  be  -J-th  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  the  width  of  the  strip  of 
metal  would  be  -§.  Mark  this  off  the 
sheet  with  the  dividers,  running  one  leg 
of  the  dividers  down  the  edge  as  a guide 
(fig.  140).  Snip  off  the  angles  at  one  end 
of  the  strip  as  shown  in  fig.  141.  This  is 
to  make  the  end  taper,  so  that  it  will  slip 
into  the  hole  in  the  draw-plate.  Now  fix 
in  the  vise  a block  of  wood  one  inch  wide 
in  which  you  have  made  a few  graduated 
semicircular  notches  (fig.  142),  and  with 
the  end  of  the  hammer  beat  the  strip 
of  metal  into  a hollow  gutter  lengthwise 
(fig.  143).  Bend  it  still  farther  round  at 
one  end  until  it  is  a rough  tube-shape 
(fig.  144),  and  anneal  it  in  the  fire  or 
blowpipe  flame.  While  it  is  still  hot  rub 
it  over  inside  and  out  with  a little  bees- 
wax. Take  a steel  mandrel,  which  is  a 

223 


Hinges  for 
Casket 


Hinges  for  length  of  polished  steel  wire,  as  thick  as 
Casket  the  inside  of  the  proposed  tube,  file  the 


Fig.  140. 


end  taper  (see  fig.  145).  Place  the  taper 
end  in  the  rough  tube,  and  squeeze  the 
224 


metal  round  the  mandrel  at  the  end  (fig. 
146).  Now  fix  the  draw-plate  in  the  vise, 
slip  mandrel  and  tube  together  through  a 
suitable  hole  in  the  draw-plate,  and  draw 
them  by  hand  through  successive  holes 
until  the  metal  becomes  a tube  which 
nearly  fits  the  mandrel.  Now  place  the 
draw-plate  on  the  draw-bench,  and  draw 
the  tube  and  mandrel  together  until  the 
latter  fits  fairly  tightly. 

Now  put  the  reverse  end 
of  the  mandrel  into  a 
hole  in  the  plate  which 
exactly  fits  it,  and  draw 
it  out  either  by  hand 
or  with  the  draw-bench. 

The  tube  is  now  com- 
plete. It  can  be  made 
still  smaller  if  necessary 
by  drawing  it  through  the 
holes  in  the  plate  without  the  mandrel. 

In  like  manner  draw  another  tube  a 
little  larger  in  diameter,  so  that  the  tube 
first  made  will  just  fit  inside.  Anneal 
both  tubes ; saw  the  large  tube  in  two 
halves  lengthwise,  and  take  two  strips  of 
metal  as  wide  as  the  edge  of  the  casket 
and  as  long,  and  solder  a half  tube  to 
each  (fig.  147).  File  away  the  outside 
15  225 


Fig.  141. 


Hinges  for 
Casket 


Fig.  142. 


quarter  of  each  semicircle  (figs.  148  and  Hinges  for 
149)  to  allow  for  the  lid  to  open.  Divide  Casket 
the  length  of  the  casket 
into  an  unequal  number 
of  small  spaces  from  \ 
inch  to  one  inch,  accord- 
ing to  the  greater  or  less 
length  of  the  hinge  ; cut 
the  smaller  tube  into  cor- 
responding lengths,  and 
file  the  joints  flat  in 
the  joint-tool  (fig.  150). 

Fit  the  two  halves  of 
the  hinge  together,  and 
lay  the  short  lengths  of 
tube  along  the  groove 
close  together  (fig.  149), 
and  with  a small  panel 
of  solder  tack  the  alter- 
nate lengths  to  one  side 
of  the  hinge  (see  fig. 

1 51),  taking  care  not  to 
run  the  solder  into  the 
joints  between  the  tubes. 

Take  the  two  halves 
apart,  andsoundly  solder 
each  length  of  tube  in  its 
place.  Do  not  forget  to  clean  the  work  in 
pickle  after  each  soldering.  The  hinge  is 

227 


Fig.  150. 


Hinges  for  now  ready  for  the  pin,  which  may  be  a piece 
Casket  Qf  brass  wire  drawn  to  the  proper  size  and 
slipped  into  place.  The  pin  must  not, 
however,  be  fixed  until  the  casket  is  other- 


wise complete.  The  work  may  now  be 
filed  up  clean,  made  true,  and  each  half 
carefully  fitted  and  soldered  into  its  place 
on  the  lid  of  the  box. 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

Moldings — The  Swage-Block — Filing  the  Grooves — 
Drawing  the  Metal 

Moldings  For  this  you  will  need  a swage-block  (see 
fig.  152)  with  movable  dies  (see  figs.  153 
and  154). 

In  the  upper  surface  of  one  of  the  dies 
file  a groove  of  the  shape  of  the  molding 
you  require  as  in  fig.  153.  The  groove 
must  be  trumpet-shaped,  the  smaller  end 
being  the  exact  section  you  wish  the 
molding  to  be.  This  must  be  done 
228 


Moldings 


Moldings  with  great  care,  as  the  smallest  mark  will 
show  on  the  molding.  Now  cut  a strip 
of  metal  slightly  thicker  and  wider  than 
the  proposed  molding. 
Having  annealed  it, 
pass  one  end  through 
the  groove  you  have 
made  in  the  swage- 
block,  and  screw  the 
plain  block  down  so 
as  to  press  slightly  on 
the  metal.  Now  fix 
the  swage-block  in  the 
vise,  take  the  draw- 
tongs  and  pull  the  strip 
through  with  a steady  movement.  Pass  the 
strip  through  the  swage  again  and  turn  the 
screw  slightly,  pressing  the  metal  more  close- 
ly into  the  mold.  Repeat  this,  annealing 
the  metal 
from  time  to 
time  until  you 
have  made 
the  molding 
as  complete 
and  as  thin 
as  you  wish. 

By  modifying  the  section  of  the  groove 
in  the  swage,  and  by  filing  the  lower  sur- 
230 


face  of  the  upper  swage-block,  hollow 
moldings  of  almost  any  section  can  be 
produced,  provided,  of  course,  that  no 
part  is  undercut. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

Polishing — Materials  Required — Polishing  Silver  Work 
— A Simpler  Method-— Burnishing — Polishing 
Gold  Work — Care  of  Polishing  Waste — Cleanli- 
ness of  Tools 

The  materials  required  will  be  polishing 
sticks,  which  are  flat  strips  of  wood  covered 
on  one  side  with  chamois  leather — one  for 
use  with  oil  and  pumice  and  one  for  rouge 
and  water.  A ring-stick,  a round,  tapering 
leather-covered  rod  of  wood,  will  be  found 
useful  for  polishing  the  insides  of  rings. 
A few  mops,  scratch-brushes,  and  a leather 
buff,  together  with  pumice-stone,  rotten- 
stone,  crocus,  sticks  of  charcoal,  and  a 
small  quantity  of  jeweler's  rouge,  will 
complete  what  is  necessary  for  most  kinds 
of  polishing. 

Polishing  Silver  IV or k. — Silver  work  is 
polished  in  several  ways  according  to  the 
degree  of  luster  desired. 

For  a very  brilliant  polish  the  method 

231 


Moldings 


Polishing 


Polishing  is  as  follows  After  the  work  has  been 
pickled  or  boiled  out  clean  in  dilute  acid, 
the  whole  visible  surface  is  carefully  stoned 
over  with  sticks  of  Water  of  Ayr  stone, 
working  with  a circular  motion  to  avoid 
scratching  or  grooving  the  metal.  Internal 
angles,  narrow  grooves,  and  shallow  lines, 
are  stoned  with  thin  slips  of  slate.  The 
work  must  be  wiped  clean  from  time  to 
time  to  see  that  the  surface  is  being  evenly 
polished.  The  object  of  stoning  is  the 
removal  of  the  film  of  oxid  produced  by 
heat,  and  all  marks  of  the  tools  and  files. 
The  surface  is  next  more  finely  polished 
with  charcoal  and  oil ; you  can  add  a little 
crocus  to  hasten  the  process  if  you  wish. 
This  done,  polish  again  with  fine  rotten- 
stone  and  oil,  taking  care  in  each  process 
to  avoid  lines,  scratches,  or  marks  of  any 
kind.  The  final  polish  is  given  with  jew- 
eler's rouge  and  water,  and  the  work 
washed  in  hot  soap  and  water  to  remove 
all  traces  of  grease.  This  process  is  labo- 
rious, but  the  result,  when  properly  car- 
ried out,  is  most  brilliant. 

A more  rapid  method,  used  for  ordinary 
work  or  for  polishing  repousse,  is  as  fol- 
lows : — The  work  is  stoned  as  before  and 
then  scratch-brushed  on  the  lathe,  and 

232 


sprinkled  from  time  to  time  with  stale  beer.  Polishing 
Moldings,  bosses,  ribs,  or  projections  from 
the  surface  can  be  brightened  still  further 
by  burnishing  with  a smooth  burnisher. 

A little  soap  and  water  used  with  the  tool 
makes  it  work  more  easily.  I ndian  workers 
simplify  the  process  still  further.  The 
surface  of  the  metal,  after  being  carefully 
whitened  in  pickle,  is  scraped  over  with 
the  scraper,  and  afterward  vigorously  bur- 
nished with  agate  and  hematite  burnishers  ; 
but  unless  both  scraping  and  burnishing 
are  most  carefully  done,  the  work,  as 
might  be  expected,  will  look  rough  and 
unfinished. 

Polishing  Gold  PPork. — The  process  of 
polishing  gold  work  is  very  similar  to  that 
first  described  for  silver.  The  work  is 
boiled  out  as  before  and  stoned.  Then 
put  a little  finely  powdered  pumice  into  a 
shallow  vessel,  and  mix  it  into  a paste  with 
olive  oil.  Take  a boxwood  polishing-stick 
—a  skewer  or  a slip  of  any  hard  wood  will 
do — dip  the  point  in  the  oil  and  pumice, 
and  rub  over  the  whole  work,  cleaning 
out  crevices,  sunk  lines,  etc.,  most  care- 
fully. If  this  be  not  done,  the  oxidized 
surface  at  the  bottom  of  the  hollows  will 
remain  as  whitish  patches  scattered  over 

233 


Polishing  the  otherwise  polished  surface  with  a dis- 
figuring effect.  In  time  this  defect  is 
removed,  the  hollows  get  filled  with  dirt, 
and  the  work  looks  more  interesting.  It 
is  better  not  to  rely  on  the  result  of  time ; 
besides,  the  reflected  light  from  the  bottom 
of  the  hollows  when  polished  often  makes 
the  work  look  richer  and  more  full  of 
color. 

When  you  have  gone  over  the  whole 
surface  with  the  oil  and  pumice,  the  proc- 
ess is  continued  with  oil  and  crocus,  and 
completed  with  rouge  and  water.  In 
the  case  of  both  gold  and  silver  work, 
the  polishings  and  scourings  of  the  metal 
should  always  be  kept  and  refined  to 
recover  the  precious  metal  which  has  been 
removed  in  the  process.  The  burnishers, 
mops,  and  polishing-brushes  must  all  be 
kept  perfectly  clean  and  free  from  dust. 
Unless  this  be  done,  the  work  may  be 
scratched  and  spoiled  when  most  near 
completion. 

The  burnishers  should  be  occasionally 
polished  on  the  buff,  and  kept  wrapped 
up  in  chamois  leather  when  not  in  use. 


234 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


Coloring,  Darkening,  or  Oxidizing  Silver  and  Gold 
Work — Materials  Required — Darkening  Gold — 

Coloring  Copper 

Silver  work,  when  newly  whitened  and  Coloring, 
polished,  always  looks  unpleasantly  white  Darkening, 
and  glaring.  Time  will  always  remedy  °rSi^d^g 
this,  but  the  process  can  be  hastened.  This  Gold  Work 
can  be  done  by  oxidizing  the  surface  with 
any  of  the  compounds  of  sulfur.  The 
work  may  be  exposed  to  the  fumes  of 
sulfur,  or  it  may  be  washed  with  solutions 
of  any  of  the  chemical  compounds  of 
sulfur,  such  as  potassium  sulfid,  am- 
monium sulfid,  barium  sulfid,  etc.  The 
ammonium  sulfid  is  what  is  most  gen- 
erally used,  and  it  gives  a range  of  color 
to  polished  silver,  varying  from  pale  golden 
straw  through  deep  crimson  to  purple  and 
bluish  black.  The  depth  of  the  color  de- 
pends on  the  strength  of  the  solution  and 
the  length  of  time  the  metal  is  exposed  to 
its  action. 

The  simplest  way  of  applying  it  is  to 
make  a hot  solution  of  the  ammonium 
sulfid — not  too  strong,  a pale  straw  color 

235 


Coloring,  will  give  about  the  proper  strength.  Do 
Darkening,  this  in  the  open  air  if  possible,  as  the  odor 
disengaged  is  most  offensive ; then  brush 
Gold  Work  a the  solution  over  the  work  you 

desire  to  darken.  Watch  closely  until 
you  perceive  the  color  you  wish  for,  then 
swiftly  wash  the  work  in  clean  water,  and 
dry  it.  If  the  surface  be  now  rubbed 
gently  with  a chamois  leather  the  film  of 
oxid  is  removed  from  the  projecting  por- 
tions of  the  work,  giving  it  a much  richer, 
older  appearance. 

The  chemical  must  not  be  allowed  to 
penetrate  behind  settings  or  the  brilliancy 
of  the  stones  will  be  spoiled.  Neither 
should  it  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the 
hands  or  they  will  be  badly  stained. 

Alloyed  gold  can  be  darkened  in  the 
same  way,  only  it  is  necessary  to  warm  the 
metal  until  it  is  almost  too  hot  to  handle 
or  the  sulfid  will  not  act  upon  it.  Gold 
of  9,  12,  15  carat  can  be  darkened  by  heat 
alone,  and  often  takes  the  most  beautiful 
shade  of  purple  if  the  heating  is  arrested 
at  the  right  moment. 

Copper  can  be  darkened  either  by  the 
ammonium  sulfid  or  by  heat,  and  if 
brushed  over  while  warm  with  a stiff 
brush  and  a very  little  pure  beeswax  will 

236 


keep  its  luster  and  color  unchanged  for  a 
long  time.  In  gold  work  of  any  intricacy 
it  is  often  difficult  and  sometimes  impos- 
sible to  polish  the  inner  portions  of  the 
ornament,  and  when  finished  the  work 
looks  unpleasant  and  incomplete.  This 
difficulty  can  be  obviated  by  first  slightly 
gilding  the  whole  work,  and  then  polishing 
it  in  the  ordinary  way.  A recipe  for  this 
is  given  at  the  end  of  the  book. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Methods  of  Gilding — Mercury  Gilding — Cold  Gilding 

Mercury  gilding  is  done  by  means  of  an 
amalgam  of  gold  with  mercury.  It  is  the 
oldest  way  of  gilding,  and  is  still  the  best, 
because  the  gold  is  carried  into  the  surface 
of  the  metal,  and  is  not  merely  a thin  skin 
more  or  less  adherent. 

Take  8 parts  of  mercury  and  one  part 
of  fine  gold.  Put  the  gold  into  a small 
crucible  and  heat  it  on  the  forge  with  a 
blowpipe,  and  when  the  crucible  reddens 
pour  in  the  mercury,  and  stir  it  into  the 
gold  with  an  iron  rod  until  you  have  a 
pasty  mass.  Empty  the  crucible  into  a 

237 


Coloring, 
Darkening, 
or  Oxidizing 
Silver  and 
Gold  Work 


Gilding 


Gilding  bowl  of  clean  water,  and  wash  the  amal- 
gam carefully  by  kneading  it  with  the 
thumb  and  finger  against  the  sides  of  the 
vessel.  This  is  to  get  rid  of  the  excess  of 
mercury.  Then  take  the  amalgam,  place 
it  in  a bit  of  chamois  leather,  and  squeeze 
out  the  remainder  of  the  uncombined 
mercury.  Because  this  excess  of  mercury 
contains  a portion  of  gold  it  should  be 
kept  separate,  and  used  when  you  wish  to 
make  amalgam  again. 

Next  dissolve  mercury  in  pure  nitric 
acid  in  the  proportion  of  io  parts  of  mer- 
cury to  ii  of  nitric  acid ; dilute  the  solu- 
tion with  20  times  its  mass  of  water,  shake 
the  mixture  well,  and  keep  it  in  a stop- 
pered bottle  for  use. 

Boil  out  the  objects  you  wish  to  solder, 
and  remove  all  grease  with  hot  soda,  and 
dip  the  work  in  the  solution  of  nitrate  of 
mercury.  Take  a small  scratch-brush  of 
brass  wire,  dip  it  first  in  the  solution,  and 
then  take  up  a small  portion  of  the  amal- 
gam, and  spread  it  carefully  and  evenly 
over  the  whole  surface  to  be  gilded. 

Some  workers  mix  the  amalgam  and  the 
nitrate  of  mercury  together,  and  dip  the 
object  to  be  gilded  in  the  mixture.  The 
first  method  is  probably  less  wasteful. 

238 


Then  hold  the  work  over  a charcoal  Gilding 
brazier  placed  in  a fireplace  with  a glass 
screen  across  the  opening.  This  enables 
you  to  see  the  progress  of  the  evaporation 
without  the  danger  of  inhaling  the  vapor 
of  mercury.  The  work  should  not  be 
laid  on  the  coals,  but  in  an  iron  pan  or  on 
an  iron  plate  over  the  coals.  When  the 
mercury  has  evaporated  rub  the  object 
with  a soft  brush,  and  polish  with  the 
scratch-brush  and  a little  stale  beer,  or 
with  rouge  and  water  on  the  buff.  If  the 
work  appears  spotty,  drop  a little  strong 
nitric  acid  on  the  spots,  afterward  plunge 
the  whole  object  in  weak  pickle  (5  of  water 
to  one  of  acid),  and  then  touch  the  defect- 
ive portions  with  fresh  amalgam,  and  evap- 
orate as  before. 

Another  method  is  to  soak  linen  rags 
in  a solution  of  chloride  of  gold.  Dry 
and  burn  the  rags,  carefully  preserving  the 
ashes.  Thoroughly  clean  the  object  you 
wish  to  gild,  and  rub  the  ashes  with  a bit 
of  damp  leather  over  the  surface.  Continue 
this  until  you  see  the  gold-color  appear ; 
then  wash  the  object  well,  and  burnish  the 
surface  with  a highly  polished  burnisher. 

The  washings  and  every  particle  of  the 
ashes  should  be  carefully  kept  because  they 

239 


Gilding 


Shaping  and 
Cutting 
Precious 
Stones 


contain  minute  quantities  of  gold  which 
can  all  be  recovered  when  desired.  Other 
methods  are  given  in  the  Appendix. 

CHAPTER  XXX 

A Method  of  Shaping  and  Cutting  the  Softer  Precious 
Stones — The  Stones  most  easily  Cut — The 
Cements  Required — Drilling  Stone — The  En- 
graver’ s Lathe — Polishing 

The  softer  precious  stones,  such  as  moon- 
stones, opals,  chrysoprase,  peridot,  and 
turquoise,  may  be  shaped  either  with  the 
corundum  file  and  water,  or  with  emery- 
wheels  fixed  on  a polishing-spindle.  In 
the  latter  case  it  will  be  necessary  to  have 
a water-can,  with  a tiny  tap  soldered  in 
the  bottom,  hung  over  the  emery-wheel 
in  such  a way  that  a drop  of  water  may 
fall  on  the  wheel  at  frequent  intervals 
while  you  are  grinding.  To  protect  your- 
self from  being  splashed,  you  will  need  a 
metal  catch-pan,  which  will  collect  the 
drip  and  the  water  which  flies  from  the 
wheel.  The  stone  to  be  shaped  must  be 
fixed  on  the  end  of  a rod  of  wood  about 
as  thick  as  a pencil  and  8 inches  long. 
Many  people  use  cane  for  this  purpose ; 
being  flexible,  it  is  less  likely  to  jar  the 
240 


stone  when  the  latter  is  pressed  against  the  Shaping  and 
wheel ; but  a piece  of  common  fire-wood  will  Cutting 
do  just  as  well.  Warm  a lump  of  ordinary  Precious 
graver’s  cement,  and  mold  it  on  the  end  ones 
of  the  stick  with  a wetted 
finger  to  a roughly  conical 
shape  (fig.  155).  Warm 
the  end  again,  and  press 
the  stone,  also  slightly 
warmed,  into  the  end  of 
the  cement,  and  mold 
the  cement  closely  round 
it  with  the  finger.  When 
cool,  the  stone  can  be 
pressed  against  the  wheel 
and  shaped  to  whatever 
form  you  please.  A fine 
surface  can  be  given  on  a 
wheel  of  finer  grain  and 
the  stone  polished  on  a 
leather  buff  with  fine 
emery  and  water,  finish- 
ing up  on  another  buff 
with  putty  powder  and 
water.  If  the  stone  is  very  tender,  as,  for 
example,  opals  often  are,  it  may  be  well  to 
use  what  is  called  soft  cement  for  fixing 
the  stone  to  the  polishing-stick.  This 
is  made  of  finely  sifted  wood  ashes,  well 
16  241 


Precious 

Stones 


Shaping  and  kneaded  into  melted  suet  until  the  re- 
Cutting  quired  consistency  is  obtained. 

Stones  can  be  slit  by  using  a bow  made 
out  of  a tapered  rod  of  ash  about  2 feet 
long  strung  with  iron  wire.  The  wire 
is  fastened  4 inches  away  from  the  butt, 
so  that  the  latter  may  be  used  as  a handle. 
This  wire,  anointed  with  emery,  is  used 
as  a saw.  Much  patience  is  needed,  as  it 
cuts  very  slowly.  A quicker  result  is  ob- 
tained by  cutting  out  a disk  of  soft  iron 
and  using  it  as  a circular  saw,  with  oil  and 
emery.  A lapidary’s  slitter  is  merely  a larger 
disk  used  horizontally.  The  defect  of  the 
small  iron  disk  is  that  it  is  difficult  to  get 
a clean  cut  with  it.  Still,  for  cutting 
turquoise  or  opal  matrix  it  does  well 
enough,  if  worked  steadily  and  with 
patience.  The  stone  to  be  slit  should 
be  cemented  to  a block  of  wood  instead 
of  a stick,  and  the  block  firmly  secured 
to  the  table  of  the  polishing-lathe,  yet 
in  such  a way  that  it  may  be  pressed 
gradually  against  the  edge  of  the  wheel 
as  the  latter  slowly  cuts  its  way  through 
the  stone.  It  is  useless  to  attempt  to 
hasten  the  process.  The  least  hurry  may 
easily  ruin  a good  stone.  The  advantage 
of  the  methods  just  described  is  that  they 
242 


Precious 

Stones 


are  within  the  reach  of  any  one,  and  with  Shaping  and 
care  can  be  made  to  produce  very  good  Cutting 
results.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
native  workers  in  the  East  do  their  work 
with  tools  even  more  rudimentary  than 
these. 

For  drilling  stones,  a drilling  or  seal- 
engraver’s  lathe-head  will  be  needed,  as  it 
is  important  that  the  drill  should  revolve 
with  great  speed  and  steadiness.  This 
lathe-head  is  a simple  pillar  of  iron  or 
brass,  with  a small  wheel  revolving  in  a 
slot.  The  axle  of  the  wheel  is  a steel 
tube  working  in  tin  bearings.  The  drills 
and  cutting  tools  are  fixed  in  this  tube 
with  melted  tin  or  lead.  The  drills  them- 
selves are  small  tubes  of  iron,  and  the  cut 
is  given  by  means  of  diamond  dust.  Small 
rods,  with  variously  shaped  ends,  taper 
knobs  of  different  sizes,  and  tiny  wheels, 
are  used,  with  diamond  dust  to  give  a 
cutting  surface,  in  engraving  seals. 

By  using  small  wheels  of  thick  copper 
screwed  on  the  spindle  of  the  polishing- 
lathe,  some  of  the  harder  stones  can  be 
shaped  with  oil  and  emery,  and  polished 
on  similar  wheels  of  tin,  the  final  polish- 
ing being  done  on  wheels  of  wood  or 
with  fine  emery,  followed  by  leather  and 

H3 


Shaping  and 
Cutting 
Precious 
Stones 


Piece - 
Molding 


putty  powder ; but,  if  any  considerable 
amount  of  work  is  required,  it  is  better  to 
get  hold  of  an  intelligent  lapidary,  who 
will  cut  the  stones  for  you  much  more 
quickly  than  you  could. 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

Piece-Molding — The  Model — The  Casting-Flasks 
— The  Sand — Filling  the  Flasks — Making  the 
Mold — The  Charcoal — The  False  Cores — The 
Back  Mold — The  Core  of  the  Model — Arran- 
ging the  Gates — Drying  the  Mold 

Work  that  is  undercut,  or  in  any  way 
complicated,  can  only  be  cast  by  piece- 
molding or  by  the  waste-wax  process. 
Suppose  it  necessary,  for  example,  to  make 
a piece-mold  cast  of  the  symbol  of  St. 
Luke  designed  as  one  of  the  feet  of  a cross 
or  candlestick.  First  make  your  model 
in  wax  or  clay,  and  take  a cast  of  it  in 
plaster  of  Paris.  Next  take  a pair  of  cast- 
ing-flasks, large  enough  to  hold  the  model 
and  give  plenty  of  room  for  the  pour  of 
the  metal.  Lay  the  lower  or  eye  portion 
of  the  flask  on  a flat  board,  and  fill  it  with 
fine  casting-sand  made  very  slightly  moist. 
The  sand  must  be  such  as  will  bind  well 
under  pressure.  Hampstead  sand,  which 
244 


is  naturally  mixed  with  a small  quantity 
of  fine  loam,  is  very  useful  for  this  pur- 
pose. 

The  sand  must  be  well  rammed  with  a 
mallet  into  the  flask,  and  great  care  should 
be  taken  to  compress  the  sand  well  against 
the  sides  of  the  flask,  or  it  may  drop  out 
when  the  mold  is  turned  over.  This 
done,  strike  off  the  excess  of  material  with 
a straight-edge,  and  adding  a few  more 
handfuls  of  sand,  lay  a stout  board  on  the 
top,  and  dri/e  the  sand  well  in  by  evenly 
distributed  blows  of  a mallet.  Again 
strike  off  the  superfluous  sand,  and  lay  the 
model  to  be  cast  well  within  the  flask,  so 
that  when  you  make  the  spout  or  pour  for 
the  metal  there  may  be  a good  weight  of 
metal  above  the  model.  Yet  it  must 
not  be  too  far  away  or  you  will  be  in 
danger  of  getting  a spongy  cast,  because 
the  metal  will  have  cooled  in  its  passage 
into  the  mold.  Having  fixed  the  posi- 
tion of  the  model,  take  a metal  spatula 
or  modeling-tool  and  excavate  a hollow 
in  the  sand  just  large  enough  to  receive 
half  the  thickness  of  the  model ; lay 
the  model  on  its  back  in  the  hollow,  and 
with  some  very  fine  sand  fill  in  under- 
neath the  model,  so  that  every  part  of  it 

245 


Piece- 

Molding 


Piece-  is  well  supported — until,  in  fact,  you  have 
Molding  taken  a partial  impression  of  the  surface. 

Now  dust  some  finely  powdered  brick-dust 
from  a rough  canvas  bag— a bag  made  of 
sacking  or  nailcloth  will  do  perfectly  well 
for  this ; with  a camel’s-hair  mop,  such  as 
gilders  use,  brush  this  well  into  the  surface, 


F 


and  blow  away  all  that  does  not  now  ad- 
here. You  will  now  proceed  to  make  the 
false  cores.  These  are  movable  portions 
of  the  molds  so  arranged  as  to  avoid  the 
undercutting  (fig.  156).  Again  dust  the 
model  Awith  a little  finely  powdered  French 
chalk,  and  brush  the  superfluity  away  with 
the  camebs-hair  mop,  and,  taking  a little 
246 


fine  sand,  press  it  carefully  with  the  fingers  Piece - 

into  the  interstices  of  the  form,  and  build  Molding 
the  sand  up  into  a block  with  sloping 
sides  (see  fig.  156,  B).  With  a small  mal- 
let tap  the  sand  all  over  evenly,  both  to 


drive  it  home  and  also  to  consolidate  and 
shape  it.  Then  with  the  flat  steel  spatula 
or  modeling-tool  cut  away  the  sand  along 
the  line  you  have  chosen  for  the  seam  (see 
fig.  156,  F),  pare  the  surface  of  the  block 

247 


Piece-  into  a regular  and  even  shape.  Now  stick 
Molding  a fork  made  of  two  thick  strong  needles 
or  pointed  wires  inserted  in  a slip  of  hard 
wood  (see  fig.  158)  into  the  block,  and 
having  laid  the  flask  on  a flat  board,  tap 
the  under  side  of  the  board  smartly,  but 
not  too  vigorously,  until  you  see  that 
the  core  has  separated  slightly  from  the 
model,  lift  it  carefully  away,  and  dust 
the  molded  surface  with  finely  powdered 


Fig.  158. 


charcoal  from  a coarse  muslin  bag,  and 
replace  the  core  on  the  mold;  tap  it  gently 
but  firmly  home  again.  Proceed  in  like 
manner  with  the  opposite  side  of  the  model 
(see  fig.  156,0).  You  will  now  have  to  make 
the  mold  for  the  upper  part  of  the  head. 
This  you  will  do  in  the  back-mold,  which 
will  be  made  in  the  peg  half  of  the  flask 
(see  figs.  1 56,  D,  and  1 57).  Place  this  upper 
half  of  the  flask  in  position.  Having 
248 


dusted  the  whole  upper  surface  of  the 
false  cores  and  the  under  mold,  press  some 
of  the  finest  sand  over  the  top  of  the 
head  of  the  model,  and  then  fill  the  whole 
mold  with  ordinary  casting-sand  and  ram 
it  well  into  place  with  the  mallet  handle 
and  afterward  with  the  head  of  the  mal- 
let. Strike  off  the  superfluity  as  before, 
and  as  before  again  pile  on  sand  and  drive 
it  down  with  the  flat  board  and  the  mal- 
let. Now  lift  the  peg  half  away,  and  you 
will  have  the  impression  of  the  false 
cores  (fig.  156,  D,  shows  the  section  of  the 
back-mold)  and  also  a mold  of  the  top 
of  the  animal’s  head,  thus  completing  one- 
half  of  the  mold.  Now  dust  charcoal 
over  the  impression  of  the  head  and  re- 
place the  upper  half  of  the  flask.  Care- 
fully turn  the  whole  mold  over  and  lift  the 
under  half  free  from  the  model,  leaving 
the  model  and  the  false  cores  resting  in 
the  upper  half  of  the  mold.  With  a 
spoon  or  a spatula  scoop  out  two  shallow 
hollows  in  what  are  now  the  upper  faces 
of  the  false  cores.  This  is  to  give  a regis- 
ter and  to  enable  you  to  place  the  false 
cores  in  their  proper  positions  when  the 
mold  is  taken  apart  (see  figs.  157  and 
159).  Now  shake  out  the  sand  which 

249 


Piece- 

Molding 


Fig.  159. 


you  had  previously  beaten  into  the  under 
mold,  and  replacing  the  frame  in  position 
on  the  upper  flask,  dust  the  mold  over 
with  brick-dust  as  before,  carefully  press 
fine  sand  over  the  back  of  the  model, 
then  fill  in  with  the  ordinary  sand,  ram 
it  well  home,  and  fill  up  the  frame  as 
before.  Again  lift  off  the  mold,  dust 
the  new  impression  with  charcoal,  and 
replace  the  mold.  With  a knife  loosen 
all  the  sand  nearly  down  to  the  bottom, 
and  again  fill  in  and  ram  the  mold  com- 
pletely full.  The  object  of  this  is  to 
incorporate  the  sand  and  the  charcoal  fac- 
ing. If  this  be  neglected  the  cast  will  be 
poor,  because  the  charcoal  by  itself  can  not 
resist  the  flow  of  the  metal.  The  latter 
carries  away  the  fine  edges  and  surfaces, 
and  instead  of  a smooth  cast  you  get  a 
rough  and  ragged  one.  The  mold  is 
now  complete  save  for  the  vents  and  the 
pour,  if  you  intend  to  make  a solid  cast- 
ing. If  you  wish  it  to  be  hollow  you  will 
need  a core  made  thus 

You  will  take  a piece  of  iron  wire,  about 
inch  diameter  and  2 inches  long,  and 
place  it  in  the  mold  against  the  upper 
part  of  the  head  of  the  bull  in  a little 
groove  scratched  in  the  surface  as  shown 

251 


Piece- 

Molding 


Piece-  in  the  figure.  Now  take  a longer  piece  of 
Molding  thick  wire,  just  long  enough  to  reach  nearly 
to  the  bottom  of  the  case  and  to  project 
2 inches  beyond  the  head  of  the  bull. 
Wind  it  round  with  a length  of  thin 
copper  wire  to  give  the  sand  a better  hold, 
and  paint  over  the  whole  wire'with  stiff* 
flour  paste.  This  makes  the  sand  adhere 
to  the  wire.  Now  open  the  mold,  and, 
having  removed  the  model,  replace  the 
false  cores  in  their  position,  close  the 
mold  carefully,  and  turn  it  over.  Lift 
off*  the  upper  half,  and  from  the  opening 
left  between  the  false  cores  fill  to  half  its 
depth  with  fine  sand  the  place  occupied 
by  the  model.  Now  lay  the  core  wire  in 
position,  and  carefully  fill  the  remaining 
space  with  the  sand,  pressing  it  into  its 
place  against  the  sides  of  the  mold  with 
a modeling-tool.  Take  the  sand  up 
between  your  thumb  and  finger,  and  use 
it  as  if  it  were  modeling-clay,  pressing  it 
carefully  into  place.  Now  pile  on  a little 
more  sand  to  make  up  that  portion  of  the 
model  which  projected  above  the  false 
cores,  and  press  down  the  other  half  of 
the  mold  on  this,  so  that  the  complete 
model  of  the  bull  is  built  up  in  sand 
around  the  central  wire  (see  fig.  160).  This 
252 


Piece- 

Molding 


Piece-  done,  cut  away  the  surface  of  this  core 
Molding  to  an  even  depth  of  nearly  -J-  inch.  The 
depth  of  the  paring  fixes  the  thickness  of 
the  metal  in  the  cast,  and  that  will  depend 


on  the  metal  you  use.  For  silver,  it  may, 
as  above,  be  a little  less  than  inch ; 
for  bronze  or  brass  it  should  be  rather 
more  than  ■§-.  It  will  now  be  necessary  to 
254 


pare  the  other  side  of  the  core, 
and  to  do  this  you  must  turn 
the  mold  over  carefully,  open  it, 
and  remove  the  false  cores  with 
the  lifting  needles.  When  you 
have  done  this  you  must  now 
make  the  gates,  the  vents,  and  the 
pour  (see  fig.  161).  The  pour 
is  the  principal  funnel-shaped 
opening  by  which  the  metal 
enters  the  mold,  the  gates  are 
the  smaller  openings  from  the 
pour  to  various  parts  of  the 
mold,  and  the  vents  are  open- 
ings or  grooves  arranged  to  let 
out  the  air  when  the  metal  fills 
up  the  mold.  It  is  almost 
always  best  to  arrange  the  pour 
so  that  the  metal  enters  at  the 
bottom  of  the  mold,  and  fills 
it  up  gradually  without  risk  to 
the  angles  and  points  of  sand 
which  project  into  the  mould. 

Scrape  a deep  groove  in  the 
surface  of  each  half  of  the 
mold,  beginning  at  one  of  the 
holes  left  for  that  purpose  in 
the  end  of  the  flask.  You  can 
do  this  with  an  old  teaspoon 


Fig.  162. 


Piece- 

Molding 


255 


Piece-  or  a broad  spatula  with  a rounded  end  (see 
Molding  fig.  162).  The  mold  is  now  complete, 
and  needs  only  to  be  thoroughly  baked 
near  the  fire,  so  that  all  moisture  is  driven 
out. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


Casting  by  Waste- Wax  Process — The  Wax  Model — 
The  Sand — Casting  the  Mold — Bedding  the 
Mold  in  the  Flasks — Casting  without  Flasks — 
Hollow  Castings — A Third  Method  of  Casting 


Casting  by 
Waste- Wax 
Process 


It  is  often  necessary  to  cast  objects  which 
may  be  either  too  small  or  too  complicated 
for  the  last  process,  or  that  may  require  a 
greater  delicacy  of  finish  in  the  cast. 

Make  your  model  in  casting-wax.  This 
is  a composition  of  fine  beeswax,  resin, 
and  Venice  turpentine  in  the  following 
proportions : 1 part  best  pure  beeswax, 
jl^-th  part  fine  resin,  -J-th  part  best  Venice 
turpentine.  Melt  in  an  earthen  pot,  stir 
well,  and  add  a little  coloring  matter 
according  to  wish  or  necessity — Venetian 
red,  Prussian  blue,  or  any  color  which 
stains  well  without  having  much  body 
in  itself. 

If  the  result  when  cold  is  too  sticky,  re- 
256 


melt  it,  and  add  a little  more  pure  wax,  Casting  by 
as  there  is  an  excess  of  turpentine.  If  it  Waste- Wax 
becomes  flaky  in  working  add  more  tur-  Process 
pentine.  When  worked  between  the  thumb 
and  finger  it  should  draw  out  into  long 
threads.  Another  mixture  is,  two  parts  of 
best  Japan  wax  and  one  part  white  resin. 

This  gives  excellent  results,  but  is  rather 
sticky  to  work.  If  the  object  required 
be  very  small  you  can  model  it  in  pure 
Japanese  wax,  which  can  be  bought  any- 
where. Almost  any  wax,  except  paraffin 
wax,  will  do  if  on  melting  it  runs  away 
and  leaves  no  solid  residue. 

Having  made  your  model,  roll  up  a 
slender  rod  of  the  wax,  say  J to  \ inch 
diameter,  and,  after  warming  the  end  of 
the  rod,  attach  it  to  the  back,  bottom,  or 
any  part  of  the  model  which  will  not  be 
seen  ultimately.  This  is  to  make  the 
funnel  or  pour.  Take  the  finest  casting- 
sand  you  can  procure,  mix  it  with  a very 
little  fine  loam,  and  dry  it  thoroughly  by 
the  fire.  Pound  it  well  in  a mortar  with  an 
iron  pestle  and  roll  it  with  a smooth  wood- 
en roller  on  a smooth  hard  board  to  crush 
out  any  uneven  lumps.  Sift  it  through  a 
canvas  bag,  or  rub  it  through  a fine  sieve. 

Put  a small  quantity  of  this  finely  powdered 


17 


257 


Casting  by  sand  into  a cup,  and  add  enough  water  to 
Waste- Wax  make  it  into  a creamy  liquid,  and  set  it  on 
Process  one  s'^e  t0  settle.  When  the  sand  has 
partly  settled  to  the  bottom,  pour  off  the 
clearer  water,  and,  taking  a soft  camel’s- 
hair  brush,  paint  the  sand  carefully  over 
the  whole  surface  of  the  model.  Very  little 
will  stick  on  at  first,  but  that  does  not 
matter  ; put  the  model  on  one  side  to  dry, 
and  when  dry  paint  on  another  coat.  Take 
care  that  the  coats  are  laid  on  evenly,  and 
avoid  bubbles  or  holes.  If  these  are  left 
they  produce  lumps  and  blots  which  will 
be  certain  to  come  in  awkward  places  on 
the  cast.  Fill  in  the  hollows  and  crev- 
ices first,  always  leaving  each  coat  to 
dry  perfectly  before  laying  on  another. 
When  you  have  covered  the  whole  model 
very  carefully  with,  say,  seven  or  eight 
coats,  the  last  one  being  thoroughly  dry, 
take  a flask  of  suitable  size,  and  partly  fill 
the  eye  half  with  sand,  lay  the  model  on 
its  face,  and  press  the  sand  well  under- 
neath it,  so  that  the  sand  coating  of  the 
model  is  everywhere  well  supported,  then 
ram  the  sand  well  in  all  around ; lay  the 
peg  half  in  place,  and  fill  that  also  with 
well-rammed  sand  as  before  described. 
Now  lay  a board  on  the  back  and  face  of 
258 


the  mold,  clamp  all  firmly  together,  and  Casting  by 
place  by  the  furnace  fire  to  dry.  When  Waste- Wax 
dry  run  the  wax  out,  and  when  it  has  all  Process 
run  away  let  the  mold  get  thoroughly 
hot,  so  that  the  remainder  of  the  wax  in 
the  mold  disappears.  Place  the  mold 
on  the  ground,  mouth  uppermost,  so  sup- 
ported that  you  may  pour  in  the  metal 
previously  melted  either  in  a crucible  in 
the  furnace  or  with  a gas  blowpipe  and 
foot-bellows  on  the  forge,  having  first 
piled  coke  around  the  crucible.  When 
cool  the  mold  can  now  be  taken  apart, 
the  sand  broken  away,  and  the  casting 
finished  by  chasing. 

Small  work  can  be  done  without  flasks. 

In  this  case  the  first  process  of  painting  on 
the  sand  must  be  continued  until  you  have 
got  a thickness  of  at  least  an  inch  of  sand 
over  every  part  of  the  model,  except  of 
course  the  top  of  the  pour  or  gate  for  the 
metal.  This  mold,  after  being  tied  round 
for  greater  security  with  binding-wire,  may 
be  dried  and  used  as  before  described. 

The  advantages  of  this  method  of  cast- 
ing over  the  ordinary  process  of  lost  wax 
are — ist,  that  it  takes  less  time;  2d,  the 
elaborate  system  of  runners  and  risers  to 
carry  off  the  air  in  the  mold  is  unneces- 

259 


Casting  by 
Waste- Wax 
Process 


sary,  the  air  escapes  naturally  through  the 
pores  of  the  sand;  3d,  there  are  fewer 
cracks  or  fissures  in  the  mold ; 4th,  the 
mold  has  not  to  be  made  red-hot  before 
pouring  in  the  metal.  By  the  method 
just  described  the  work  is  cast  solid.  If 
you  wish  to  have  it  hollow  you  must  pro- 
ceed differently.  Paint  one-half  of  the 
model  only  with  the  successive  layers  of 
the  sand,  and  leave  the  back  entirely  un- 
covered. When  the  sand  is  fully  dry  dust 
a little  French  chalk  over  the  wax,  and 
take  a pair  of  flasks,  and  fill  the  eye  half 
as  described  for  piece-molds.  Lay  the 
model  so  that  there  will  be  a sufficient 
length  of  pour  above  it,  and  excavate  the 
sand  so  that  the  uncovered  half  of  the 
model  may  rest  in  it.  Pack  fine  sand  well 
underneath  this,  and  place  the  peg  half 
of  the  flask  in  position.  Having  dusted 
brick-dust  all  over  the  face  of  the  mold, 
ram  fine  sand  all  round  the  model,  fill  the 
mold,  and  strike  off  clean  as  before. 

Reverse  the  mold,  and  lift  off  the  eye 
half,  shake  out  the  sand,  dust  the  model 
clean,  and,  taking  pinches  of  fine  sand, 
press  them  into  the  cracks  and  crannies  of 
the  latter.  Then  ram  the  sand  well  over 
the  mold  and  into  the  sides  of  the  flask, 
260 


and  level  the  surface  as  before.  Open  the  Casting  by 
mold  again,  dust  the  impression  with  char-  Waste- Wax 
coal,  close  the  mold,  and  again  loosen  the  Process 
sand  over  the  model.  Ram  in  more  sand 
until  the  frame  is  full.  Now  place  the 
mold  mouth  downward  near  the  furnace, 
set  a small  vessel  underneath  to  catch  the 
wax.  When  the  mold  is  hot  and  all  the 
wax  has  run  away,  open  the  mold,  take  a 
length  of  iron  wire,  just  long  enough  to 
traverse  the  whole  model  lengthwise  and 
project  an  inch  at  each  end,  and,  having 
coiled  fine  copper  or  iron  wire  round  it, 
rub  a little  flour  paste  over  it,  and  make  a 
core  of  sand  round  the  wire ; lay  it  in  po- 
sition so  that  as  for  as  possible  there  may 
be  an  equal  space  all  round  it.  When  the 
core  is  dry  you  can  fix  it  in  position  and 
pour  in  the  metal. 

There  is  yet  another  way  of  casting 
hollow7  figures  by  the  lost  wax  process. 

A matrix  of  the  figure  is  made  in 
gelatine  (this  part  of  the  work  is  best 
done  by  a plaster  molder),  melted  wax 
is  painted  in,  and  the  mold  is  turned 
about  every  way,  so  that  every  part  of  the 
mold  receives  an  even  coating  of  wax. 

This  coating  should  be  a little  more  than 
•g-  inch  thick.  When  the  wax  is  quite  cold 

261 


Casting  by  it  is  taken  out  of  the  mold.  You  will 
Waste-Wax  now  have  a hollow  casting  in  wax,  we  will 
Process  suppose,  of  the  bull.  Fix  the  rod  of  wax 
for  the  pour  at  the  back  of  the  model. 
Run  a stout  iron  wire  lengthwise  through 
the  model  (see  fig.  1 59).  This  is  to  carry 
the  core.  Coat  the  wax  with  the  sand  and 
water  as  before,  and,  when  thick  enough, 
bed  the  resulting  mold  in  the  flasks,  ram 
the  sand  round  the  core  wire,  melt  the 
wax  out,  and  cast  the  figure.  When  cast 
the  core  can  be  removed  bit  by  bit  from 
the  bottom.  The  iron  rod,  which  will  be 
firmly  fixed  in  the  cast,  must  also  be  re- 
moved, the  hole  left  by  it  filled  up  with 
metal,  and  the  head  then  chased  to  remove 
traces  of  the  join. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 

On  Inlaying 

On  Inlaying  The  art  of  inlaying  is  extremely  simple, 
and  requires  merely  patience  and  a steady 
hand.  It  consists  in  cutting  away  the 
surface  of  the  metal  in  lines  and  spaces 
bordered  by  undercut  edges  as  in  fig.  163. 
The  cutting  is  done  with  scorpers,  pointed 
ones  being  used  for  the  lines  and  broad 
262 


ones  for  spaces.  The  tool  is  held  as  de-  On  Inlaying 

scribed  for  engraving  or  carving.  When 

you  have  drawn  the  pattern  on  your  work, 

and  have  engraved  it,  take  fine  gold  or 

fine  silver  wire  drawn  a little  larger  than 

the  thickness  of  the  line,  and  laying  small 

portions  at  a time  in  the  incisions,  you 

will  tap  the  gold  or  silver  gently  with 

a small,  or  tapping,  or  riveting  hammer 

into  the  incisions.  The  work  requires 

much  patience.  The  broader  surfaces 

will  be  filled  by  pieces  cut  out  of  the 


Fig.  163. 


sheet  metal,  only  in  this  case  the  ground 
of  the  space  must  be  carefully  roughened 
all  over  by  digging  the  pointed  scorper 
firmly  into  the  metal,  so  that  it  raises 
points  which  give  a key  to  the  inlaid 
metal.  If  the  surfaces  are  not  very  large, 
you  can  inlay  with  dentist's  gold,  using 
small  rounded  punches  to  drive  the  soft, 
spongy  metal  into  the  recesses  of  the 
engraving. 

Damascening  is  a similar  process  in 
which  gold  and  silver  are  applied  to  the 
decoration  of  iron  and  steel.  There  are 

263 


On  Inlaying 


On  Old 
Work 
and  Old 
Methods 


three  principal  methods  of  work.  In  the 
first  the  gold  is  hammered  into  spaces 
engraved  out,  which  gives  the  best  and 
most  durable  result,  though  naturally  the 
most  costly  by  far.  In  the  next  method 
the  ground  within  the  spaces  to  be  covered 
is  roughened  with  the  point  of  the  scorper 
as  above,  and  thin  gold  or  fine  silver  ham- 
mered on ; the  points  and  dents  made  by 
the  tool  hold  the  gold  in  place.  The  third 
and  cheapest  way  is  to  roughen  the  ground 
by  cross  lines  cut  with  the  graver  and, 
laying  gold  -leaf  on  the  space,  burnish  it  in 
with  the  agate  or  blood-stone  burnisher. 
This  operation  must  be  repeated  until 
there  is  a sufficient  body  of  gold  to  give 
the  required  effect.  The  whole  work  can 
then  be  brightened,  polished,  or  finished  in 
any  way  you  please. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

On  Old  Work  and  Old  Methods 

What  most  impresses  the  student  of  all 
old  work  of  the  best  periods  is  the  clear 
shining  sincerity  of  the  worker  and  his 
patient  skill.  The  worker's  hand  traveled 
264 


lovingly  over  every  part  of  the  work,  giving 
it  a kindliness  of  aspect  enduringly  attract- 
ive. More  than  this,  it  bears  a touching 
witness  to  the  spirit  of  the  worker.1  What 
that  spirit  was,  the  preface  by  the  eleventh- 
century  monk,  Theophilus,  to  his  work  on 
“ Divers  Arts,”  more  clearly  shows  us  — 

“ Most  dear  brother,  moved  by  sincere 
love  I have  not  delayed  to  insinuate  to  thy 
mind  how  much  honour  and  perfection 
there  is  in  avoiding  idleness,  and  in  tramp- 
ling down  slackness  and  sloth  ; and  how 
sweet  and  pleasant  it  is  to  be  occupied  in 
works  of  divers  utility.  In  the  words  of  a 
certain  orator, c To  know  aught  is  a merit, 
it  is  a fault  not  to  desire  to  learn/  Nor  let 
any  one  delay  to  learn  of  them  of  whom 
Solomon  saith,  c Whoso  increaseth  knowl- 
edge increaseth  work/  because  the  diligent 
in  meditation  can  understand  what  growth 
of  mind  and  body  proceedeth  thence. 

<c  For  it  is  clearer  than  light  that  whoso 
seeketh  ease  and  levity  giveth  occasion  to 
unprofitable  stories,  scurrile  talk,  curiosity, 

1 Cellini  is  not  a case  in  point.  Moreover  his  art  has 
been  greatly  overrated.  It  is  in  most  cases  meretricious 
in  the  true  sense  of  the  word.  At  the  same  time,  he 
was  an  amazing  blackguard,  which  perhaps  accounts  for 
his  immortality. 


On  Old 
Work 
and  Old 
Methods 


265 


On  Old 
Work 
and  Old 
Methods 


wine-bibbing,  drunkenness,  brawls,  fights, 
homicide,  bawdiness,  theft,  sacrilege  and 
perjury,  and  the  like,  which  things  are  per- 
nicious in  the  eyes  of  God,  who  regard- 
eth  the  humble  and  quiet  man  working  in 
silence,  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  obedient 
to  the  precept  of  the  blessed  Apostle  Paul, 
c But  rather  let  him  labour,  working  with 
his  hands  the  thing  that  is  good,  that  he 
may  have  to  give  to  him  that  needeth.' 

“ I,  desiring  to  be  an  imitator  of  this 
man,  drew  near  to  the  porch  of  Holy 
Wisdom,  and  beheld  a little  chapel  full 
of  divers  colours  of  every  variety  display- 
ing the  use  and  nature  of  each.  Having 
with  unseen  footsteps  quickly  entered 
therein,  I filled  up  the  aumbry  of  my 
heart  with  a sufficiency  of  all  things,  and 
having  tried  them  one  by  one  by  diligent 
experiment,  and  having  proved  all  by  the 
eye  and  hand,  I commend  them  without 
envy  to  thy  study.” 

Again,  in  another  place,  Theophilus  thus 
admonishes  the  worker  “ Whatsoever 
thou  art  able  to  learn,  understand,  or  de- 
vise in  the  Arts  is  ministered  to  thee  by 
the  grace  of  the  sevenfold  spirit. 

“ By  the  Spirit  of  Wisdom  thou  knowest 
that  all  created  things  come  of  God,  and 

266 


without  Him  there  is  nothing.  By  the 
Spirit  of  Understanding  thou  acquirest 
capacity  of  mind  in  what  order,  variety, 
and  proportion  thou  mayest  avail  to  apply 
thyself  to  the  different  work.  By  the 
Spirit  of  Counsel  thou  dost  not  conceal 
the  talent  conceded  thee  by  God,  but  with 
humility,  working  and  teaching  openly, 
thou  revealest  faithfully  to  those  earnestly 
desirous  of  knowledge.  By  the  Spirit  of 
Fortitude  thou  dost  shake  off  the  torpor 
of  sloth,  not  beginning  aught  with  slack- 
ness thou  dost  carry  it  through  with  all 
thy  power  to  the  end.  By  the  Spirit  of 
Knowledge  conceded  to  thee  thou  dost 
dominate  with  thy  genius  by  reason  of  the 
fullness  of  thy  heart,  and  that  of  which 
thy  mind  is  full  thou  dost  utter  boldly  in 
public.  By  the  Spirit  of  Piety  thou  dost 
govern  what,  for  whom,  why,  how  much, 
and  in  what  manner  thou  workest,  and 
through  pious  consideration,  lest  the  vice 
of  avarice  or  covetousness  creep  in,  thou 
shalt  moderate  the  price  of  thy  reward. 
By  the  Spirit  of  the  Fear  of  the  Lord  thou 
art  mindful  that  thou  canst  do  nothing  of 
thyself,  nor  dost  thou  think  to  have,  or 
to  desire,  aught  but  by  the  gift  of  God, 
but  believing,  confessing,  and  giving  thanks 

267 


On  Old 
Work 
and  Old 
Methods 


On  Old 
Work 
and  Old 
Methods 


whatsoever  thou  knowest,  whatsoever  thou 
art  or  may  be,  thou  dost  ascribe  to  the 
Divine  Mercy.” 

This  most  delightful  person,  moreover, 
was  a thorough  craftsman,  and  knew  in- 
timately what  he  wrote  about.  And  he 
described  his  work  as  only  a good  work- 
man could,  who  was  at  the  same  time 
skilled  with  his  pen. 

Here,  for  example,  is  his  description  of 
making  casts  of  handles  for  a chalice  by 
the  lost  wax  process. 

“ Take  wax  and  form  handles  thereof, 
and  model  on  them  dragons,  or  beasts,  or 
birds,  or  leaves  in  whatsoever  way  thou 
wishest.  On  the  top  of  each  handle,  how- 
ever, place  a little  wax,  rolled  round  like 
a slender  candle,  as  long  as  the  little 
finger,  the  upper  end  being  somewhat 
larger.  This  is  called  the  ‘pour’;  this  thou 
wilt  fix  to  the  handle  with  a warm  tool. 

“Then  take  well-beaten  clay  and  cover 
up  each  handle  separately,  so  that  all  the 
hollows  of  the  modelling  may  be  filled 
up.  When  they  are  dry,  again  coat  evenly 
over  all,  and  in  like  manner  a third  time. 
Afterwards  put  these  moulds  near  the 
coals,  so  that  when  they  get  hot  thou 
mayest  pour  out  the  wax.  The  wax  being 

268 


poured  out,  place  them  wholly  in  the  fire, 
turning  the  mouth  of  the  moulds  by  which 
the  wax  ran  out  downwards.  When  they 
glow  like  coals,  then  melt  the  silver,  add- 
ing to  it  a little  Spanish  brass.  If,  for 
example,  there  be  4 ounces  of  silver,  add 
a quarter  of  an  ounce  of  brass,  but  if  more 
or  less,  then  in  proportion  to  the  weight. 
Taking  the  moulds  out  of  the  fire,  stand 
them  firmly  up,  and  pour  in  the  silver  at 
those  places  where  thou  pouredst  out  the 
wax.  When  they  shall  have  cooled,  break 
away  the  clay,  and  with  files  and  scorpers 
join  them  to  the  chalice.” 

There  is  no  reason  why  this  process 
should  not  be  applied  by  any  student  to- 
day. The  one  thing  needful  to  insure 
success  is  to  get  a loamy  clay,  which  will 
not  shrink  or  crack  too  much  when  the 
mold  is  fired.  Otherwise  the  process  is 
identical  with  modern  practise. 

Again,  in  his  description  of  molds  for 
stamped  work : 

“ Iron  stamps  may  be  made  of  the 
thickness  of  one  finger,  the  width  of  three 
or  four  fingers,  and  one  finger  long.  They 
must  be  sound,  and  without  flaw  or  fissure 
on  the  upper  face.  In  this  face  thou  wilt 
engrave  with  the  scorpers  in  the  same  way 

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as  for  seals,  broad  and  narrow  borders  of 
flowers  (see  fig.  164),  beasts,  and  little  birds, 
or  dragons,  with  necks  and  tails  coiled  to- 
gether. They  must  not  be  engraved  too 
deeply,  but  moderately,  and  with  care.  Then 
thou  thinnest  out  silver  as  long  as  thou  need- 
est ; and  much  thinner  than  for  repousse 
work,  and  thou  dost 
clean  it  with  powdered 
charcoal,  and  with  a 
cloth  dost  polish  it  with 
chalk  scraped  over  the 
metal.  This  done  fix 
thou  the  silver  plate 
over  any  border,  and 
having  laid  the  iron  up- 
on the  anvil  with  the 
sculptured  side  upper- 
most, and  having  laid 
the  silver  over  the  sculpture,  place  a thick 
piece  of  lead  over  the  silver,  strike  strongly 
with  the  hammer,  so  that  the  lead  may  im- 
pinge on  the  thin  silver  and  drive  it  so  for- 
cibly into  the  sculpture  that  every  trace  of 
it  may  be  clearly  seen. 

“ If  the  plate  be  longer  than  the  mould 
draw  it  from  place  to  place,  and  hold  it 
evenly  on  the  iron  with  the  pincers,  so 
that  when  one  part  has  been  struck  up 
270 


another  may  be  struck,  and  so  on,  until 
the  plate  has  been  filled  up.  This  work 
is  useful  enough  when  thou  art  making 
borders  for  altar  tables,  for  pulpits,  for 
shrines  for  the  bodies  of  the  saints,  for  the 
covers  of  books,  and  in  whatever  places 
the  work  may  be  needed.  When  the 
relief  is  suitable  and  slight  it  is  easily 
done.  Thou  canst  do  likewise  with  copper 
similarly  thinned,  gilded,  and  polished. 
Being  laid  on  the  iron,  gilt  side  down- 
wards, the  lead  is  laid  over  it,  and  ham- 
mered until  the  pattern  is  visible.  The 
image  of  the  crucified  Lord  is  also  en- 
graved in  iron,  as  described  above,  and 
being  stamped  on  silver  or  gilt  copper, 
they  make  therewith  phylacteries  or  reli- 
quaries and  little  shrines  of  the  saints. 
The  image  of  the  Lamb  of  God  is  also 
carved  in  iron,  and  the  figures  of  the  four 
Evangelists.  The  impresses  of  these  on 
gold  or  silver  are  used  to  decorate  bowls 
of  precious  wood,  the  image  of  the  Lamb 
standing  in  the  midst  of  the  bowls,  the 
four  Evangelists  ranged  about  in  the  shape 
of  a cross.  Images  of  little  fishes,  birds, 
and  beasts  are  also  made,  which,  being 
fixed  on  the  rest  of  the  ground  of  the 
bowl,  give  a very  rich  effect.  An  image 

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of  the  Majesty  is  made  in  like  manner, 
and  other  images  of  any  form  or  sex. 
These  being  stamped  in  gold  or  silver  on 
gilt  copper  give  the  greatest  seemliness  to 
those  places  on  which  they  are  fixed  by 
reason  of  their  delicacy  and  elaboration. 
Images  of  kings  and  knights  are  made  in 
the  same  way,  with  which,  being  stamped 
out  of  Spanish  brass,  basins  whence  water 
is  poured  on  the  hands  are  ornamented  in 
the  same  manner  as  cups  are  ornamented 
with  the  stamped  work  in  gold  and  silver. 
They  may  have  borders  in  the  same  metal 
in  which  little  beasts  or  birds  or  little 
flowers  which  are  not  fixed  together  but 
soldered  with  tin.” 

Nothing  could  be  clearer  or  more  prac- 
tical than  this.  The  result  of  the  process 
can  be  seen  in  the  shrine  of  the  bell 
shown  on  Plate  V.  The  delightful  flower 
borders  on  the  face  of  the  shrine  are  all 
produced  in  the  way  described. 

Again,  the  description  by  Theophilus 
of  the  cutting  punches,  their  use,  and  the 
employment  of  the  results  produced,  is  a 
model  of  clearness  : — 

<c  Iron  punches  are  made  as  long  as  the 
finger,  thick  at  one  end,  and  tapering  to 
the  other  (see  fig.  165).  They  may  be  filed 

272 


square,  three-cornered,  or  round,  and  made 
of  convenient  bigness.  The  smaller  ends 
are  afterwards  case-hardened.  Then  little 
flowers  are  engraved  out  of  the  smaller  ends 
in  such  a way  that  a cutting  edge  is  left 
round  the  border  of  the  flower  (fig.  166). 
Thin  silver  or  gilded  copper 
is  polished  on  the  upper  face 
as  described  above,  is  thinly 
tinned  on  the  lower  with 
the  soldering  bit  used  for 
soldering  windows,  then, 
laying  thick  lead  on  the  an- 
vil, place  thereon  the  silver 
or  gilt  copper,  so  that  the 
gilding  may  be  uppermost 
and  the  tinning  underneath ; 
having  taken  which  punch 
thou  pleasest,  lay  the  carved 
end  on  the  silver,  and  strike 
with  the  hammer  so  that  the 
design  may  appear  and  be  at 
the  same  time  cut  out  by 
the  sharp  edge  of  the  punch  (see  fig.  166). 

<c  When  thou  hast  stamped  out  all  the 
silver  keep  the  flowers  by  thee ; they  will 
be  the  heads  of  nails,  the  shanks  of  which 
thou  wilt  make  thus  : Mix  two  parts  of  tin 
and  one  of  lead  together,  beat  it  out  thin 
18  273 


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and  long,  and  draw  it  through  the  draw- 
plate,  so  that  thou  hast  a very  long  wire 
not  too  slender.  Afterwards  make  for 
thyself  a slender  iron,  about  6 inches  long, 
which  is  broadened  out  at  one  end  and 
hollowed  a little  to  receive  the  head  of  the 
nail.  The  other  end  is  fixed  in  a wooden 
handle.  Then  sitting  near  the  furnace  suit- 
able for  this  work,  before  which  stands  a 
little  copper  vessel  full  of  melted  wax,1 
holding  the  slender  iron 
in  the  left  hand,  the 
broader  partbeing  heated, 
and  in  the  right  the  tin 
wire  rolled  up  like  a ball, 
dip  the  end  of  the  wire 
in  the  wax,  and,  placing 
it  upon  the  tinned  side  of  one  of  the 
little  flowers  so  that  it  may  stick,  lift  it 
up  and  lay  it  in  the  hollow  of  the  heated 
iron ; hold  it  there  until  the  metal  runs, 
and  immediately  remove  it  from  the  fire, 
and  when  cold  snip  off  a length  of  wire 
according  to  the  length  thou  desirest  for 
the  nail. ” 

The  beaded  wire  so  beautiful  in  its 
slight  irregularities,  seen  in  Anglo-Saxon 


Fig.  i 66. 


i 

274 


Resin  would  do  just  as  well  as  wax. 


brooches  as  well  as  in  many  of  the  Greek 
ornaments,  was  produced  by  the  beading- 
tool  which  Theophilus  describes  as  fol- 
lows : — 

“ There  is  an  iron  instrument  called  the 
beading-tool,  which  consists  of  two  irons, 
one  above  and  one  below.  The  lower 
part  is  as  broad  and  as  thick  as  the  middle 


finger,  and  is  somewhat  thin.  In  it  are 
two  spikes  by  which  it  is  fixed  to  wood 
below,  and  out  of  the  upper  face  rise  two 
thick  pegs  which  fit  into  the  upper  part 
of  the  iron.  And  this  upper  iron  is  of 
the  same  size  and  length  as  the  lower,  and 
is  pierced  with  two  holes,  one  at  each  end, 
which  receives  the  two  pegs  of  the  lower, 

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so  that  they  can  be  joined  together.  They 
must  be  joined  very  closely  with  the  file, 
and  in  both  faces  thou  wilt  groove  out 
several  rows  of  little  pits  in  such  a way 
that  when  the  irons  are  joined  together  a 
hole  may  appear  (see  figs.  167,  168).  In  the 
large  grooves  place  thou  gold  or  silver  rods 
beaten  out  long  and  smoothly  round,  and 
when  the  upper  iron  is  smartly  struck 
with  the  horn  mallet  while  the  gold  or 
silver  rod  is  turned  round  with  the  other 

hand,  grains  are 
formed  as  large  as 
small  beans;  in  the 
O3G0GGGCGEZ21  next  grains  as  large 

as  peas  are  formed ; 

OBesaaBOBOang l3»  and  in  the  third 

Fig.  168.  like  lentils,  and  so 

on  smaller.” 

Let  any  student  or  worker  try  for 
himself  any  of  the  methods  given  by 
Theophilus,  and  he  will  find  that  he  is 
brought  into  touch  with  sources  of  sug- 
gestion and  ideas  of  the  utmost  value  to 
him  in  his  work.  It  is  like  stepping  from 
the  close  atmosphere  of  a cramped  work- 
room to  the  freer  air  of  a new  world. 
In  fact,  the  more  one  compares  the  work 
of  the  past  with  the  work  of  the  present 
276 


day,  the  more  one  is  convinced  that  the 
design  in  the  past  was  the  outcome  of 
work.  To-day  the  cart  is  placed  before 
the  horse;  work  is  the  outcome  of  de- 
signs, hence  its  thin  and  meager  aspect. 
This  meagerness  may  not  be  remedied,  as 
many  think,  by  wild  struggles  after  origi- 
nality. They  lead  but  to  the  eccentric  and 
the  morbid.  Let  the  worker  be  faithful 
to  himself,  sincere  in  his  craft,  incessant  in 
study,  and,  unconsciously  but  surely,  his 
work  will  express  that  personal  note  which 
sooner  or  later  will  win  him  a place  in  the 
choir  of  artists. 

Again,  if  we  look  at  the  work  of  the 
Japanese,  with  their  patinae,  their  in- 
lays, and  incrustations,  their  many  kinds 
of  groundwork,  their  alloys,  inexpensive, 
but  most  beautiful,  the  rich  effects  they 
will  produce  with  an  incredibly  small 
quantity  of  gold  or  silver,  and,  perhaps 
more  astonishing  than  all,  their  beautiful 
cast  work,  one  realizes  that  there  is  a whole 
world  of  new  methods  and  new  materials 
for  study,  any  one  of  these  worth  a lifetime 
of  study,  yet  not  one  of  them  is  prac- 
tised by  us.  The  Japanese  as  a race  are 
more  sensitive  than  any  other  to  the  sug- 
gestive beauty  of  things  called  common 

277 


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by  the  heedless  Western.  A water-worn 
pebble,  a strangely  marked  stone,  are 
wrought  and  polished  and  added  to  until 
it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  work  is 
entirely  the  result  of  human  intention  or  is 
the  product  of  some  kind  of  natural  magic, 
or  is  the  work  of  some  more  than  human 
artificer.  In  their  metal  work,  each  metal, 
native  or  alloyed,  is  allied  with  some  other, 
at  once  its  foil  and  quiet  emphasis.  The 
very  names  of  their  surfacings  reveal  an 
intensity  of  observation  unknown  to  us : 
“ pear-skin  ground,  millet  seed,  stone- 
dimpled,  wood -grain  ground,  fish -roe 
ground,  the  toad’s -back  ground,”  and 
many  others.  They  show  a knowledge  and 
a love  of  surface  quality  not  even  dreamed 
of  by  the  Western  workman  wallowing  in 
the  trough  of  commercialism.  Their  alloys 
are  made,  not  merely  with  an  eye  to  beauti- 
ful color  in  the  metal  itself,  but  for  the 
color  and  quality  of  the  film  of  oxid 
produced  by  time  or  chemicals.  Every- 
thing they  do  reveals  that  intimate  in- 
herited knowledge  which  comes  of  centuries 
of  study  of  the  nature  and  properties  of 
the  materials  used.  Their  workmanship 
itself  is  no  less  perfect. 

In  Japan,  as  indeed  everywhere,  the  su- 
278 


preme  test  of  good  work- 
manship was  that  every 
tool  - stroke  should  be 
complete  in  itself  and 
need  no  retouching.  This 
holds  good  even  when 
applied  to  art  so  widely 
different  as  Anglo-Saxon 
gold  work.  Whether  we 
lookat  brooches, buckles, 
or  necklaces,  there  is  the 
same  unhesitating  skill, 
the  same  quiet  perfection 
of  work.  Yet  the  design 
of  any  jewel  resolves 
itself,  in  almost  every  in- 
stance, into  the  repetition 
of  forms  made  up  of 
variously  twisted,  ribbed, 
or  beaded  wires  laid  side 
by  side,  or  little  coils  or 
shapes  of  wire  soldered 
on  the  surface,  and  filled 
up  with  tiny  grains  almost 
in  the  Etruscan  or  Greek 
manner.  The  sideviewof 
the  Elfred  jewel  (fig.  169) 
is  one  illustration  of  this, 
while  the  Anglo-Saxon 


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* 


Fig.  169. 


279 


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brooches  and  buckles  in  the  collotype  plates 
show  other  very  beautiful  examples  of  the 
rich  results  produced  by  simple  means. 
Comparative  study  of  the  goldsmith's  art 
shows,  among  other  things,  the  extraor- 
dinary persistence  of  primitive  methods 
of  workmanship  and  design  even  down 
to  the  present  day.  The  method  of 
producing  grains,  discovered  probably  by 
the  first  gold  worker,  and  described  in 
a former  chapter,  is  still  used  by  every 
goldsmith  in  the  world ; so  also  the 
various  patterns  of  twisted  wire.  The 
use  of  punches,  molds,  and  dies  are  all 
primitive  methods  of  enduring  utility. 
They  are,  as  it  were,  the  terms  in  the 
artist's  vocabulary,  and  it  would  be  just 
as  impossible  to  invent  a new  language 
as  to  discover  new  methods  of  work  or  a 
new  art. 

All  through  Etruscan,  Roman,  Italian 
art  ‘ one  can  trace  the  methods  per- 
fected, if  not  invented,  by  Greek 
artificers,  while  the  influence  of  Greek 
art  can  be  seen  even  to-day  in  the  work 
of  the  Persian  and  Indian  goldsmith  as 
well  as  in  those  of  early  Ireland  and 
Anglo-Saxon  England.  Again,  in  early 
French  art,  some  beautiful  examples  of 
280 


which  are  given  in  Plate  VIII,  there  is 
the  Greek  love  of  clearness,  of  firm  out- 
line, and  spirited  form.  The  work  is 
so  clean,  so  airy  and  bright,  that  it  seems 
rather  the  handiwork  of  angels  than  of 
men.  It  is  a spiritual  refreshment  even 
to  look  at  such  things,  and  the  student 
can  not  spend  too  much  time  in  the  study 
of  them.  He  will  always  find  suggestion, 
not  of  new  forms,  but  of  untried  methods  ; 
not  new  design,  but  hints  of  new  expres- 
sions ; he  will  learn  what  is  indeed  the 
sum  of  the  whole  matter,  that  the  right 
use  of  material  leads  to  right  ideas. 


On  Old 
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28l 


NOTES  ON  THE  COLLOTYPE 
PLATES 


Plate  I. — Shows  a Group  of  Personal  Notes  on 
Jewelry  from  South  Kensington  Museum.  Collotype 
The  first  three  specimens  on  the  plate  are  a es 
earrings  of  Roman  workmanship,  but  ob- 
viously made  under  the  influence  of  Greek 
or  Etruscan  traditions.  The  first  shows 
the  use  of  filigree  and  twisted  wire  and 
simple  methods  of  using  rough-cut  precious 
stones.  The  second  shows  a pierced  set- 
ting for  a pearl  attached  to  a rough  piece 
of  emerald.  The  third  a similar  pierced 
setting  applied  to  a bit  of  emerald  crystal 
roughly  polished.  The  gold  is  fine  gold, 
and  the  workmanship  of  the  whole  ex- 
ceedingly simple,  yet  exceedingly  effective. 

The  fourth  Object  is  a piece  of  late  Spanish 
work,  but  it  shows  a beautiful  way  of 
using  seed  pearls,  and  as  a piece  of  crafts- 
manship is  very  near  akin  to  the  first  three. 

283 


Notes  on  The  vine  leaves  are  scorpered  out  of  thick 
Collotype  sheet  silver,  and  gilt  and  enameled.  The 
Pktes  hand  is  also  enameled. 

Plate  II. — Anglo-Saxon  Brooches  from 
the  British  Museum.  No.  i.  Gold  Brooch 
found  at  Abingdon ; 2 and  3.  Silver 

Brooches  found  at  F aver  sham.  These 

brooches  are  magnificent  examples  of  the 
value  of  repetition  and  rhythm  in  design. 
The  attention  of  the  student  is  particularly 
directed  in  the  case  of  the  Abingdon  plate 
to  the  rich  color  of  the  original,  to  the 
sumptuousness  of  the  design  which  is  yet 
almost  rudimentary  in  its  simplicity,  and 
to  the  extreme  ingenuity  6f  the  craftsman- 
ship by  which  the  thin  coils  of  compound 
wire  are  twisted  into  almost  realistic  pre- 
sentments of  serpents. 

The  Ring  of  Ethelwulf  is  a good  ex- 
ample of  the  common-sense  design.  The 
craftsman  has  taken  all  the  space  he  could 
on  the  top  of  the  finger,  but  where  a broad 
ring  would  prevent  the  finger  from  bend- 
ing he  has  narrowed  it  down  to  a simple 
band. 

Plate  III. — No.  1.  Gold  Belt  Buckle 
found  at  Taplow.  A very  fine  example 
of  the  use  of  corded  wire  as  a contrast  to 
cloison  inlay. 

284 


No.  2.  A Gold  Brooch  found  at  Dover , 
showing  the  richness  produced  by  concen- 
tric rings  of  tiny  scrolls  enclosed  by  plain 
and  twisted  wires.  This  surface  affords 
an  ideal  foil  for  the  red  garnet  inlay. 

Plate  IV. — The  Necklace  is  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  workmanship,  found  atDesborough, 
Northamptonshire.  It  is  given  as  an  ex- 
ample of  the  use  of  uncut  stones,  and  the 
fine  effect  produced  by  simple  coiled  wire. 
The  small  brooches  are  fourteenth-century 
inscribed  brooches  of  English  workman- 
ship given  to  show  the  beauty  of  severe 
and  simple  forms. 

Plate  V. — The  Shrine  of  the  Bell  of 
Conall  Cael.  This  shrine  of  bronze  and 
silver  and  precious  stones  gives  an  admi- 
rable illustration  of  several  of  the  methods 
described  by  Theophilus  in  his  book  of 
“ Divers  Arts.”  The  beautiful  little  panels 
of  scrollwork  were  impiessed  in  stamps 
carved  out  of  iron  or  bronze,  and  the 
figures  are  in  cast  bronze.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  a more  romantic  or  more 
suggestive  design.  The  crystal  sphere  on 
which  the  crucifix  rests  makes  the  whole 
work  look  quite  magical. 

Plate  VI. — The  Gold  Cup  of  the  Kings 
of  France  and  England.  Perhaps  the  most 

285 


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Collotype 
Plates 


Notes  on 
Collotype 
Plates 


beautiful  piece  of  gold  work  in  the  world. 
The  photograph,  good  as  it  is,  can,  how- 
ever, convey  no  suggestion  of  the  wonder- 
ful color  and  splendor  of  the  original.  It 
is  given  to  show  that  all  work  to  be  deco- 
rated by  enamel  should  be  simple  in  form. 

Plate  VII. — No.  i.  An  English  Gold 
Brooch , fourteenth  century , set  with  pearls, 
cabochon  sapphires,  and  emeralds.  An  ex- 
ample showing  shaped  settings  for  pearls, 
claw  settings  for  the  stones,  and  carved 
and  pierced  dragon  bosses  as  a contrast  to 
the  stones.  A model  of  built-up  design. 

No.  2.  A Roman  Ring  of  Gold,  coiled  up 
out  of  thin  wire  and  soldered  into  a solid 
band.  An  example  of  the  beauty  of  abso- 
lutely simple  craftsmanship. 

No.  3.  A Russian  Pendant , illustrating 
the  value  of  filigree  surfaces  as  a contrast 
to  the  watery  sheen  of  precious  stones. 

No.  4.  A Gold  Ring , Roman , an  example 
of  pierced  and  carved  work. 

No.  5.  A Gold  Ring , built  up  of  strands 
of  thin  metal  united  by  a repousse  boss  as 
ornament. 

Plate  VIII. — French  Brooches  of  the 
13th  and  14 th  centuries . The  first  built  up 
out  of  thin  sheet  metal,  the  second  carved 
out  of  the  solid.  The  first  is  an  example 

286 


of  the  use  of  leaves  made  as  described  in 
the  chapter  on  Rings.  The  settings  are 
simple  cones  of  thin  sheet  metal  wrapped 
round  the  stones.  At  the  back  of  the 
brooch  is  a beautiful  border  in  niello. 
Every  student  should  see  this  brooch  and 
study  it  for  himself. 

Plate  IX. — A Processional  Cross , fif- 
teenth century , German  workmanship . This 
cross  is,  as  it  were,  a resume  of  the 
whole  goldsmith’s  art.  There  is  hardly  a 
process  which  has  not  been  used  in  its 
manufacture.  Twisted  wire  of  every  de- 
gree of  complexity,  stamped  work,  carved 
work,  beaten  work,  cast  work,  and  enam- 
eling— all  unite  to  make  a most  beauti- 
ful whole.  As  a study  of  compression  in 
design  it  could  hardly  be  surpassed. 

Plate  X. — A French  thirteenth-century 
Chalice . This  illustrates  the  decoration  of 
chalices  by  impressed  work  described  by 
Theophilus. 

Plate  ~Xl.—Ciborium  in  copper  gilt,  set 
with  jewels  and  panels  of  enamel.  A 
splendid  example  of  the  value  of  clearly 
defined  spaces,  and  the  beauty  which 
may  result  from  the  arrangement  of  rigid 
shapes  within  such  spaces.  Italian,  four- 
teenth century. 


Notes  on 
Collotype 
Plates 


287 


Notes  on  Plate  XII.- — Pastoral  Staff  in  copper  gilt. 

Collotype  set  with  enamel.  Given  as  an  example  of 
Plates  fae  right  use  of  enamel.  Italian,  four- 
teenth century. 

Plate  XIII. — Norwegian  Bridal  Crown 
in  silver  gilt . This  shows  the  possibilities 
of  work  in  thin  sheet  metal. 

Plate  XIV. — The  Elf  red  Jewel . An 
example  of  the  decorative  value  of  in- 
scriptions, of  the  use  of  coiled  and  beaded 
wire,  and  the  right  use  of  enamels. 

Plate  XV. — Pendant s,  Brooches , and  a 
Ring  by  the  author . In  gold  and  jewels 
and  enamels. 

Plate  XVI. — No.  i .A  Necklace  in  opals , 
emeralds , and  pearls  by  the  author.  Most 
of  the  stones  in  the  necklace  were  cut 
and  polished  by  the  method  described  in 
Chapter  XXX. 

No.  2.  ^ Shrine  Ring , enclosing  an  image 
of  the  Holy  Mother  and  Child. 


288 


II. — i,  Anglo-Saxon  Brooch,  found  near  Abingdon.  2,  3,  Anglo-Saxon 
Brooches,  found  near  Faversham.  4,  Anglo-Saxon  Ring, 
found  at  Laverstock.  (British  Museum.) 


•- 


Ill  i,  Anglo-Saxon  Belt  Buckle,  found  at  Taplow.  z,  Anglo-Saxon 
Brooch  found  at  Dover.  (British  Museum.) 


IV.— Anglo-Saxon  Necklace  and  14th  Century  English  Inscribed 
Brooches.  (British  Museum.) 


V 


V,  —Shrine  of  the  Bell  of  Conall  Cael.  (British  Museum.) 


■■■I 


VI.— Gold  Cup  of  the  Kings  of  France  and  England.  (British  Museum.) 


I.  ' l 


VII.— i,  English  Gold  Brooch,  14th  Century.  2,  3,  5,  Roman  Gold 
Rings.  4,  Russian  Pendant.  (British  Museum.) 


VIII.— i,  French  Gold  Brooch,  13th  Century.  2,  French  Gold 
Brooch,  14th  Century.  (South  Kensington  Museum.) 


( 


X.— French  Chalice,  13th  Century.  (South  Kensington  Museum.) 


XI. — Ciborium,  in  Copper-Gilt.  (South  Kensington  Museum.) 


XII.— Pastoral  Staff,  Italian.  (South  Kensington  Museum.) 


XI 1 1. -Norwegian  Bridal  Crown.  (South  Kensington  Museum.) 


XV.— i,  Belt  Buckle,  in  Pale  Gold,  with  Enamel,  Rubies,  Sapphires,  and 
Pearls.  2,  Pendant,  in  Pale  Gold,  with  Beryl  and  Sapphire.  3,  Gold 
Ring,  set  with  Rubies,  Emeralds,  and  Pearls.  (By  the  Author.) 


XVI— I,  Necklace,  in  Gold,  set  with  Emeralds,  Opals,  Sapphires,  and 
Pearls.  2,  Front  View  of  the  Lid  of  a Shrine  Ring.  The  Lid  is 
hinged  and  forms  a Cover  to  an  Enamelled  Panel  of  the 
Holy  Mother  and  Child.  (By  the  Author.) 


The  following  sections  of  medieval 
cups  and  chalices,  taken  from  Night- 
ingale's cc  Church  Plate  of  Wiltshire  '' 
(published  by  Messrs.  Bennet  Broth- 
ers, Salisbury),  are  given  as  sugges- 
tions of  form.  The  section  to  the 
right  of  Plate  I is  that  of  the  Foun- 
dress' cup  given  in  the  Frontispiece. 
The  student  is  referred  to  <c  Old 
Cambridge  Plate  ''  (published  by  the 
Cambridge  Antiquarian  Society)  for 
further  beautiful  examples  of  silver- 
work. 


21 


321 


322 


323 


325 


PRACTICAL  RECIPES 


Contact  Gilding . — Take  of  yellow  prussiate  of  potash, 
2 oz.  ; carbonate  of  potash,  i oz.  ; common 
salt,  1^2  oz.  ; water,  i quart.  Boil  the  water  in 
an  enamel  saucepan.  When  boiling  add  the 
salts  one  by  one.  Stir  well  with  a glass  rod,  and 
continue  boiling  for  two  or  three  minutes,  after 
which  add  slowly  a solution  of  2 dwts.  of 
chloride  of  gold  dissolved  in  a little  water,  stirring 
the  mixture  the  while.  Allow  it  to  cool  and 
preserve  it  in  a stoppered  bottle.  When  required 
for  gilding  take  a little  of  the  liquid  and  heat  it 
nearly  to  boiling-point,  then  place  the  article, 
thoroughly  cleansed,  on  a piece  of  bright,  clean 
zinc,  and  immerse  it  in  the  solution,  when  it 
will,  after  a few  moments,  be  covered  with  a film 
' of  gold.  (From  “ The  Jeweller’s  Assistant  in 
Working  in  Gold,”  G.  Gee.) 

Greek  Gilding  for  Copper , Gilding  Metal  or  Bronze. — 
Dissolve  equal  parts  of  sal-ammoniac  and  cor- 
rosive sublimate  in  strong  nitric  acid.  With  the 
mixture  make  a solution  of  fine  gold  and  con- 
centrate the  solution  by  evaporation.  When  you 
think  it  sufficiently  concentrated  dip  the  object  to 
be  gilded  after  it  has  been  pickled  clean,  or  paint 
it  on  with  a brush.  The  solution  will  blacken  it 

3^7 


Practical 

Recipes 


Practical 

Recipes 


instantly  if  it  be  strong  enough.  This  done,  heat 
the  object  to  redness,  when  the  gold  will  appear. 

Grecian  Gilding , another  way.- — Take  equal  parts  bi- 
chloride of  mercury  and  chloride  of  ammonia, 
dissolve  in  nitric  acid,  add  small  portion  of  gold 
chloride,  and  dilute  with  water.  To  gild  silver 
articles,  brush  the  composition  over  them,  and 
expose  them  to  just  enough  heat  to  volatilize  the 
mercury.  This  done,  the  work  can  be  burnished. 
(From  fg  The  Jeweller’s  Assistant  in  Working 
in  Gold,”  by  G.  Gee.) 

Fire-Gilding  for  Steel,  Iron,  or  Copper. — Scrape  the 
copper  or  iron  with  the  scraper  and  burnisher, 
warm  the  object,  if  it  be  steel  or  iron,  until  it 
takes  a bluish  tinge  ; if  it  be  copper,  to  a corre- 
sponding heat.  You  will  now  apply  the  first  layer 
of  gold  leaf  and  burnish  it  on  lightly.  The  work 
must  next  be  exposed  to  a gentle  heat  and 
another  layer  applied.  If  you  wish  to  make  the 
coating  of  gold  extra  strong,  use  two  leaves  of 
gold  at  each  operation.  The  work  must  not  be 
finally  burnished  bright  until  the  last  leaf  of  gold 
has  been  laid  on  and  the  work  is  cold. 

Cement  for  Engravers. — Melt  best  pitch  in  an  iron 
vessel,  and  when  completely  liquid  stir  in  yellow 
ocher  or  red  ocher  in  fine  powder  in  a sufficient 
quantity,  to  color  the  mixture.  Pour  it  out  on 
a smooth  oiled  stone  or  marble  slab. 

To  Polish  Enamel. — After  rubbing  it  down  with  the 
corundum  file  take  a small  rod  of  tin  or  pewter, 
and  after  anointing  it  with  fine  tripoli  or  rotten- 
stone,  grind  the  surface  of  the  enamel  evenly  with 
this.  Next  take  a stick  of  limewood  and  use 
that  with  rotten-stone  in  the  same  way,  and  finish 
with  putty  powder  and  a buff  stick. 

328 


Good  Solder  for  Gold. — Fine  silver,  i part ; fine 
copper,  i part ; fine  gold,  2 parts.  Melt  the 
copper  and  silver  together,  and  when  well  mixed 
add  the  gold. 

To  Unsolder  a Piece  of  Work. — Paint  those  joints 
which  are  not  to  be  unsoldered  with  a mixture  or 
loam  and  water  to  which  a little  common  salt  has 
been  added.  This  will  protect  them.  When 
dry  scrape  the  portions  next  to  the  part  to  be  un- 
soldered and  paint  it  all  well  with  borax.  Then 
just  give  enough  heat  to  melt  the  solder,  and 
remove  the  part  with  the  pincers.  Or  if  this  be 
impossible  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  work,  before 
unsoldering  fix  a stout  iron  wire  to  the  part  to  be 
removed  and  lift  it  off  in  that  way. 


Practical 

Recipes 


329 


GLOSSARY 


Alloy,  base  metal  added  to  silver  or  gold  to  give  hard- 
ness or  color.  Also,  any  combination  of  different 
metals  by  fusion. 

Annealing,  softening  metal  by  making  it  red-hot  and 
cooling  slowly. 

Backing,  the  coating  of  enamel  on  the  back  surface  of 
enameled  plaques.  Also,  the  washings  and  wast- 
ings  of  ground  enamel  used  to  coat  the  backs  of 
enamel  plaques. 

Back-saw,  a saw  made  of  a thin  ribbon  of  steel,  such 
as  a clock-spring,  fixed  in  a brass  back,  used  for 
dividing  metal. 

Basse  taille,  low  cut  carving  in  metal  beneath  the  level 
of  the  surface,  used  in  enameling.  The  drawing 
or  modeling  of  the  subject  is  given  by  the  different 
depths  of  cutting.  The  enamel  naturally  appears 
darker  over  the  deeper  cuttings  and  vice  versa. 

Beck  iron,  a T -shaped  anvil  or  stake  used  in  hammer 
work.  The  arms  of  the  T are  long — one  is 
round,  slender,  and  tapering  ; the  other  has  a flat 
upper  surface. 

Board  sweep,  the  filings  of  precious  metal  swept  from 
the  work-board,  and  kept  for  refining. 

Bossing  up,  beating  out  sheet  metal  from  the  back  into 
rough  approximations  of  the  form  required. 

331 


Glossary 


Glossary  Broche , a tapering  prism  of  steel  with  sharp  edges,  used 
for  enlarging  holes  and  the  insides  of  tubes. 

Burnishers,  handled  tools  with  points,  knobs,  or  flat- 
tened surfaces  of  hardened  steel,  agate,  bloodstone, 
or  hematite,  highly  polished,  used  for  polishing 
the  surface  of  metal  by  compression. 

Cabochon,  a method  of  cutting  precious  stones  without 
facets.  The  surface  of  the  rough  stone  is  ground 
away  until  it  is  evenly  rounded  and  smooth  to  the 
touch.  The  back  is  then  ground  flat,  or,  in  the 
case  of  carbuncles,  concave.  Stones  cut  in  this 
way  are  also  called  “ tallow  drop  ” stones.  There 
is  also  the  double  cabochon,  which  is  naturally  like 
two  simple  cabochons  put  back  to  back. 

Casting-sand,  a natural  or  artificial  mixture  of  fine  loam 
and  sand,  used  to  make  molds  for  casting. 

Cement  stick,  a short  taper  handle  of  wood,  the  upper 
end  notched  and  covered  with  cement,  made  of 
pitch  or  resin  and  powdered  brick-dust,  used  to 
hold  small  objects  while  being  engraved. 

Champleve,  a process  of  enameling  on  metal  in  which 
the  ground  of  the  pattern  is  cut  away  with  scorpers 
into  a series  of  shallow  troughs  into  which  the 
enamel  is  melted,  the  surface  being  afterward 
ground  smooth  and  polished. 

Chasing,  surface  modeling  of  metal  with  hammer  and 
punches. 

Cire  perdue,  the  waste- wax  process  of  casting  direct 
from  the  original  wax  model.  The  model  having 
been  enclosed  in  sand  rammed  closely  round  it, 
is  melted  away  and  its  place  taken  by  molten 
metal. 

Cloison,  an  enclosing  ribbon  of  wire,  which,  being  sol- 
dered edgewise  on  a metal  ground,  makes  a trough 
into  which  enamel  is  melted. 

33^ 


Collar , a ring  made  of  several  layers  of  stout  leather.  Glossary 
sewn  or  riveted  together,  used  to  support  the 
pitch-bowl. 

Core , the  heart  of  a mold  for  casting  hollow  objects. 

Corn  tongs , small  tweezers,  used  for  picking  up  stones, 
bits  of  solder,  etc.,  and  adjusting  them. 

Cramps , bits  of  thick  iron  wire  bent  to  various  shapes, 
used  to  hold  work  together  while  being  soldered. 

Crown  setting , an  open  setting  with  rebated  points  to 
hold  the  stone. 

Crucible , a vessel  of  fireclay  or  other  refractory  mate- 
rial, used  for  melting  metal,  so  called  because  they 
were  formerly  stamped  with  the  sign  of  the  cross. 

Cupel,  a block  of  compressed  bone  ash  with  a cup- 
shaped depression,  used  in  a muffle  for  purifying- 
gold  and  silver.  The  precious  metal  is  wrapped 
up  in  seven  or  eight  times  its  weight  of  lead,  and 
when  melted  the  lead  runs  away  into  the  bone 
ash,  carrying  the  impurities  with  it. 

Doming-block,  a cube  of  metal  with  hemispherical  de- 
pressions of  various  sizes  in  the  sides,  used  with 
doming  punches  for  making  hollow  balls  out  of 
sheet  metal. 

Doming  punches , punches  with  globular  heads,  made  in 
sets  to  fit  the  hollows  of  the  doming-block.  They 
may  be  in  steel,  brass,  or  boxwood. 

Draw-bench,  a low  bench  with  a winch  at  one  end, 
which,  acting  on  a broad  strap  attached  by  a 
strong  iron  loop  to  a pair  of  pincers  called  draw- 
tongs,  is  used  to  draw  wire  through  the  draw- 
plate  held  against  stops  fixed  at  the  other  end  of 
the  bench. 

Draw-plate,  a flat  plate  of  steel  pierced  with  a row  or 
rows  of  graduated  holes,  and  used  for  drawing 
wire. 


333 


Glossary  Face-plate , a square  of  thick  steel  plate  with  the  surface 
ground  perfectly  level,  used  when  filing,  to  test 
the  truth  of  the  work. 

Facing,  the  operation  of  giving  a smooth  surface  to  a 
casting  mold  by  dusting  on  a finer  material. 
The  facings  most  generally  used  are  powdered 
charcoal,  flour  and  charcoal,  French  chalk,  soot, 
and  pea-flour. 

False  core,  the  removable  section  of  a casting  mold 
arranged  to  draw  out  clearly  from  a piece  of 
undercut  work. 

Flask , an  iron  frame  used  to  contain  the  sand  while 
being  rammed  round  an  object  to  be  cast. 

Flaunching,  filing  a chamfer  on  the  edge  or  side  of  any 
object. 

Flinking,  the  process  of  stabbing  with  a sharp-pointed 
graver  the  surface  of  metal  which  is  to  be  enameled. 
Its  object  is  to  give  a key  to  the  film  of  glass,  and 
prevent  it  from  flaking  away  from  the  metal. 

Flux,  any  material  used  to  protect  the  surface  of  metal 
from  oxidation  when  exposed  to  heat,  or  to  aid 
in  the  liquefaction  or  purification  of  metals  when 
necessary  to  melt  them.  These  are  powdered 
charcoal,  borax-glass,  borax,  saltpeter,  carbonate 
of  soda,  sal-ammoniac,  powdered  glass,  common 
salt  and  sulfur. 

Gallery,  a setting  with  perforated  sides  for  a stone  or  a 
panel  of  enamel. 

Gate  or  get,  the  hole  or  channel  arranged  in  a casting 
mold  for  the  access  of  the  metal. 

Girdle,  that  edge  of  a precious  stone  which  is  fixed  in 
the  setting. 

Graining  tool,  a hollow-headed  punch  with  a wooden 
handle,  used  for  rounding  the  heads  of  pins  used 
in  fixing  parts  of  work  together. 

334 


Graver , a kind  of  scorper  or  small  chisel  for  cutting 
lines  on  the  surface  of  metals. 

Hare's  foot , the  dried  foot  of  a hare,  used  as  a brush  to 
dust  away  gold  and  silver  filings  from  the  board. 

Ingot , a block  of  metal,  generally  rectangular,  cast  into 
a convenient  shape  for  rolling,  or  wire-drawing, 
or  remelting. 

Joint  filey  a flat  strip  of  steel  with  rounded  edges  on 
which  are  file  cuts.  It  is  used  for  making 
grooves  for  hinges. 

Joint  tool,  a flat  plate  of  steel  fixed  in  a handle  and 
pierced  with  a triangular  hole.  The  point  of 
the  triangle  is  toward  the  handle,  and  in  the  base 
in  the  thickness  of  the  metal  is  a thumbscrew. 
The  ends  of  a tube  when  secured  at  the  apex  of 
the  triangle  by  the  screw  can  be  filed  quite  true. 

Justifier , a scorper  with  two  cutting  edges  at  right 
angles,  used  in  cutting  bearings  for  the  stones. 

Knop , any  bulbous  projection  on  a shaft  or  pillar  of 
a cup  or  candlestick,  etc. 

Knurling  tool , a small  steel  wheel  with  a concave  edge 
pitted  with  tiny  hollows.  When  fitted  in  a slotted 
steel  handle  and  run  backward  and  forward 
along  a wire  soldered  on  a plate  it  produces  a 
row  of  beads. 

Lem  el  (French  “ Limaille,”  filings),  the  filings  and 
scraps  of  precious  metal  collected  in  the  skin  of  the 
work-bench.  I is  carefully  preserved  and,  when 
enough  has  been  collected,  is  melted  and  the 
metal  refined  for  subsequent  use. 

Loam , a fatty,  ocherous  earth  used  in  casting. 

Mandrely  a rod  of  metal  of  any  section,  used  either  for 
tube-drawing  or  for  coiling  wire,  in  the  making 
of  chains.  Also,  the  tapered  rod  of  steel  used  in 
making  rings. 


Glossary 


335 


Glossary  Matrix , the  mother-form  or  mold  for  cast  work. 

Matt  tool , a repousse  punch  with  a flat,  granulated  end, 
used  for  making  a grained  surface  on  metal. 

Mop,  a tangled  boss  of  fine  binding- wire  fixed  on  a 
wire  handle  and  used  to  support  small  articles 
while  being  soldered  with  the  mouth  blowpipe. 
Also,  a contrivance  for  polishing  made  of  a 
number  of  disks  of  calico  fixed  to  a wooden  spindle. 
When  put  on  the  polishing  lathe,  it  becomes  rigid 
by  rapid  revolution.  The  edges  are  then  smeared 
with  rouge  and  the  object  to  be  polished  pressed 
against  it. 

Odd  side,  the  temporary  half  of  a casting  mold  arranged 
to  support  the  model  while  the  false  cores  are 
being  made  over  it. 

Paillon,  a snippet  of  solder. 

Panel,  a snippet  of  solder. 

Parting  sand,  powdered  brick-dust  or  bathbrick,  used  to 
sprinkle  on  the  face  of  a mold. 

Perloir,  a chasing  punch  with  a concave  tip,  used  for 
making  convex  beads  on  the  surface  of  metal. 

Pickle,  solutions  of  various  acids  in  water,  used  for 
removing  the  films  of  oxid  and  sulfids  from  the 
surface  of  metal.  The  acids  used  are  nitric  acid, 
hydrochloric  acid,  and  sulfuric  acid,  and  a very  or- 
dinary mixture  is  half  acid  and  half  water.  This 
solution  is  as  strong  as  necessary  for  general  use. 

Piece-mold,  a mold  for  casting  undercut  work,  made 
in  removable  sections,  called  false  cores,  so  arranged 
that,  when  the  mold  is  complete,  it  can  be  taken 
to  pieces,  the  model  removed,  and  the  mold 
reformed  for  casting. 

Pin,  the  wedge  of  hard  wood,  generally  beech,  fixed  in 
the  bow  of  the  jeweler’s  bench,  used  to  hold 
work  up  against  the  file. 

336 


Pitch-block , a block  of  wood  covered  with  pitch,  used  Glossary 
as  a support  for  metal  in  repousse  work,  or 
chasing. 

Planishing , giving  a plane  or  level  surface  to  a sheet  of 
metal  by  the  use  of  a broad,  smooth-faced 
hammer  and  an  anvil.  Also,  giving  a smooth 
face  to  a beater’s  cup  or  other  object  in  sheet 
metal  by  the  same  means. 

Plaque,  a plate  of  metal  slightly  domed  and  prepared 
for  enameling.  Also,  the  same  plate  when 
coated  with  enamel. 

Pliquehjour,  transparent  enamel  which,  being  without 
metal  backing,  gets  its  strength  from  variously 
folded  ribbons  of  metal  within  the  thickness  of  the 
enamel,  in  the  same  way  that  a stained-glass 
window  is  strengthened. 

Pour,  the  gate  or  inlet  for  the  metal  to  run  into  a 
mold  for  casting. 

Repousse,  the  method  of  beating  out  sheet  metal  from 
the  back  with  hammers  and  punches. 

Rifles,  files  with  curved  and  variously  shaped  ends,  used 
for  filing  up  the  surfaces  of  castings  and  for 
cleaning  up  any  surface  for  which  an  ordinary  file 
can  not  be  used. 

Riser,  a channel  scraped  out  of  one  surface  of  a piece- 
mold  to  allow  the  escape  of  air.  Also,  in  a waste- 
wax  mold  the  slender  rod  of  wax  arranged  to 
make  a similar  air-channel  when  melted  out  of  the 
mold. 

Runners,  in  piece-molds,  channels  for  the  entry  of 
metal  into  various  parts  of  the  mold.  In  waste- 
wax  molds  the  rod  of  wax  arranged  to  provide 
a similar  channel  when  melted  out  of  the  mold. 

Sand-bag,  a flat  circular  bag  of  leather  filled  with  sand, 
used  for  bossing  up  metal  upon. 

22 


337 


Glossary  Scorpers,  small  hand  chisels  of  various  shapes,  used  to 
engrave  metal. 

Scraper , a tool  made  from  an  old  file  by  sharpening 
the  point  on  a stone  to  a three-sided  pyramid. 
Used  for  scraping  clean  edges  and  surfaces  to  be 
soldered  and  for  cleaning  up  work  generally. 

Smooth , a fine  cut  file  for  finishings. 

Snap,  a spring-catch  for  a bracelet  or  necklace. 

Snar ling-irons,  long  Z -shaped  levers  fixed  in  a vise 
and  used  for  bossing  out  the  surface  of  vessels 
from  the  inside.  They  act  by  rebounding  from 
the  blow  of  the  hammer  near  the  fixed  end. 

Stake,  a small  anvil.  They  are  of  many  forms,  from 
the  bench  stake,  a square  block  of  iron  faced  with 
steel,  to  the  variously  curved  bars  with  rounded, 
bulbous,  or  spoon-shaped  ends,  used  when  fixed  in 
a vise  for  beating  up  cups,  etc.  A poker  fixed 
upright  in  the  floor  makes  an  excellent  stake. 

Swage-block,  a modified  draw-plate,  made  in  remov- 
able sections  held  in  a frame  by  a screw.  Used 
for  drawing  wire  or  moldings.  The  holes  are 
arranged  in  the  contiguous  surfaces  of  two  blocks, 
and  the  size  of  the  wire  or  molding  can  be  regu- 
lated by  the  screw. 

Sweep,  the  refuse  from  the  floor  of  the  jeweler’s  work- 
shop which  is  collected,  burnt,  and  the  metallic 
residue  melted  and  refined  for  use  in  the  same 
way  as  lemel. 

Tracer,  a chisel-shaped  punch  used  in  outlining  for 
repousse  work. 

Treblet , a taper  mandrel  of  steel  on  which  rings  are 
made. 


338 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Agate  burnisher,  used  in  dam- 
ascening, 264  $ in  polishing, 
233 

Agate  mortar,  for  enameling, 
202 

Alfred’s  jewel,  279,  316 
Alloy  copper,  use  of,  in  enam- 
eling, 202  j gold  proportions 
for,  169,  170 

Aluminum  bronze  for  network 
enamels,  215 

Amalgam  of  mercury  and  gold, 
for  gilding,  237 

Ammonium  sulfid,  use  of,  in 
darkening  silver,  76,  235 
Annealing,  47 

Back  mold,  248 
Backs  for  pearls,  how  to  make, 
117 

Band  for  hinged  bracelet,  160 
Barium  sulfid  for  oxidizing,  235 
Basins  decorated  with  stamped 
work,  272 

Bathbrick  molds  for  casting, 

*99 

Beaded  wire,  274 
Beading-tool,  275 
Beakers,  55,  57,  58 
Bearings  for  settings,  100 
Beating-block,  53 
Beck-iron,  55 


Beehive  coils  for  gold  work, 
182 

Beer  used  in  polishing,  232 
Beeswax,  41 
Bench  stake,  35 
Bench  vise,  34 

Bezel  for  casket,  1845  for  ring, 
1 10 

Binding-wire,  31 
Block  tin,  for  fillings,  3 1 ; for 
molds,  31 

Blowpipe,.  35,  94,  96 
Board  sweep  in  gold  work,  168 
Boil,  removing,  in  enamel  work, 
212 

Book  of  “ Divers  Arts,”  265 
Borax,  31 

Borders  in  stamped  work,  270 
Bossing  up,  53 

Bow  saw  for  slitting  stones,  242 
Boxwood  mallet,  use  of,  53,  56; 
punches,  35;  sawdust,  32; 
stamp  for  spoons,  85  ; sticks 
for  polishing,  33,  232 
Bracelet,  1565  flexible,  165; 
hammered  silver,  1575 
hinged,  160;  pattern  for, 
160  j scroll  ends  for,  158; 
sizes  of,  156  5 snap  for,  1635 
stone  for,  159 

Brass  molds,  for  gold  work, 
177,  181,  182 


Index 


341 


Index 


Brooch,  catch  for,  133;  design, 
subject  for,  130,  1 3 1 5 joint 
for,  133  j back  for,  132$ 
twisted  wire  border  for,  132; 
medallion  setting  for,  136 
Brooch  pins,  134;  gold,  135 
Buckle  in  Champleve  enamel, 
209 

Burnishers,  42,  43,  233,  264  $ 
care  of,  234 
Burnishing,  178,  231 

Cabochon,  97 
Candlesticks,  68 
Carved  knop,  190 
Carved  settings  for  stones,  191 
Carving  in  metal,  1875  tools 
for,  187 

Casket  hinges,  how  to  make, 
223  $ fitting  and  soldering, 
227 

Casket,  pendant,  how  to  make, 

183 

Casting  flasks,  196,  244  ; sand, 
245  ; wax,  256 
Casting  small  work,  193 
Catch,  for  brooch,  133;  for 
necklace,  how  to  make,  1 20 
Catch-pan  for  use  with  polishing 
lathe,  240 
Cellini,  265 

Cement  backing  for  enamels, 
222  ; for  use  in  polishing  soft 
stones,  241 

Cement  stick  for  cutting  stones, 
241 ; uses  of,  178 
Chain  loops  for  flexible  bracelet, 
165 

Chains,  how  to  make,  1 1 3 
Chalices,  outlines  for,  321 
Champleve  enamel,  209 
Charcoal,  use  of  in  polishing, 
231  ; in  casting,  248 

342 


Chasing,  45 

Chasing  tools,  33,  45,  48 
Chisels  for  metal  carving,  187 
Chloride  of  gold  for  gilding,  239 
Circular  saw  for  precious  stones, 
242 

Cire-perdue  process  of  casting, 
256,  268 

Cloisonne  enamel,  203 
Cloisons,  use  of,  in  enamel,  200 
Cloison  wire,  30,  204,  215 
Close  settings,  98 
Cold  chisel,  34 
Collets,  1 01 
Coloring  metal,  235 
Combs,  design  of,  149  j groups 
of  leaves  for,  152;  hinges 
for,  150,  153  ; prongs  for, 
150;  setting  the  pearls  in, 
1545  skeleton  setting  for 
pearls  in,  152 

Copper,  best  kinds  of,  305  how 
to  darken,  236 
Core  casting,  261 
Corundum  file,  use  of,  in  enam- 
eling, 203 

Crocus  for  polishing,  231 
Crown  settings,  ioi  # 

Crucibles,  use  of,  in  enameling, 
212 

Cunynghame’s  book  on  enam- 
els, 202 

Cup  forms,  321 
Cutting  precious  stones,  240 
Cutting  punches,  272 
Cuttlefish  molds,  193 

Damascening,  263 
Darkening  silver,  130,  235 
Deep  cut  enamels,  219 
Dentist’s  gold,  263 
Design  and  handiwork,  relation 
of,  176 


Diamond  dust,  use  of,  243 
Doming-block,  34 
Doming  punches,  34 
Dragon  borders,  270 
Draw-bench,  40 
Draw-plate,  34,  41,  43,  ii6, 
223 

Drilling  stones,  1 5 5,  243 
Drills,  35 
Drill  stock,  3 5 

Electrotype  copper,  30 
Emery  wheel,  use  of,  in  cutting 
stones,  240 

Enamel,  dangers  of  use  on  cast 
work,  202  ; high  relief,  how 
to  produce,  222 ; intaglio, 
219  ; metal  border  for,  140  ; 
washing,  206 

Enamel  brooch,  cloisonne,  203 
Enamel  work,  general  rules  for 
use  of,  200 ; requisites  for, 
202;  protection  for  solder  in, 
212  ; use  of  scorper  in,  210 
Enameling  solder,  alloy  for,  89, 
212 

Engraver’s  lathe  head,  243 
Engraved  lines,  use  of,  in  inta- 
glio enamels,  221 

False  cores,  246 
Filigree  rings,  107 
Fish,  how  to  draw,  138 
Flasks  for  casting,  196,  244 
Flower  borders  in  stamped  work, 
272 

Frame  saw,  35,  1 15 
French  chalk,  use  of,  in  cast- 
ing, 260 

French  work-bench,  36 
Friction  gilding,  how  done,  239 

Gates  in  a casting  mold,  255 
Gelatine  molds  in  casting,  261 


Gesso  models  for  enameled  gold 
panels,  221 
Gilding  processes,  237 
Gilt  nails,  how  to  make,  274 
Gold  alloys,  color  of,  169 
Gold-beater’s  skin,  use  of,  in 
covering  metal,  193 
Gold  foil  in  enamel  work, 
213 

Gold  grains,  172  ; hair-pin, 
170;  how  to  darken,  236; 
locket,  183  ; necklace,  how 
to  make,  177;  solder,  how 
to  make,  1 71  ; solder  to  be 
used  in  enamel  work,  209 
Gold  work,  care  of  material, 
168  ; characteristics  of  An- 
glo-Saxon, Etruscan,  Egyp- 
tian, Mykenean,  1 76  ; how 
to  polish,  233  ; type-metal 
molds  for,  1 80  ; zinc  molds 
for,  380 

Grained  links  for  chain,  1 1 9 
Graining  tool,  use  of,  in  fitting 
pendant,  142 

Grains  of  gold,  how  to  make, 
172 

Grounds  for  enamel  work,  202 
Gum  tragacanth,  213 

Hematite  burnisher,  203,  233 
Hair  ornaments,  145 
Hair-pin,  gold,  170  ; silver,  145 
Hammer  work,  51 
Hampstead  sand,  244 
Handiwork  and  design,  176 
Hand  vise,  41,  43 
High-relief  figures,  enameled, 
222 

Hinge  for  a casket,  how  to 
make,  223  ; for  comb,  152 
Hinged  bracelet,  160 
Holder  for  drilling  pearls,  155 

343 


Index 


Index 


Hollow  ornaments  in  gold,  how 
to  make,  177;  strengthen- 
ing, 179 
Horn  mallet,  33 
Hydrochloric  pickle,  32 
Hydrofluoric  acid,  use  of,  in  en- 
amel work,  203,  206 

Incrusted  work,  98 
Ingot,  for  spoon  handle,  79  ; for 
carved  ring,  no 
Ingot  molds,  to  make,  90 
Inlaying,  262 

Intaglio  enamels,  219  $ wax 
model  for,  220 

Interlocking  joint  for  hammer 
work,  67 

Iron  stamps,  269  ; for  crucifixes, 
271  ; for  Agnus  Dei,  271  5 
for  four  Evangelists,  271 
Iron  supports  for  enamel  plaques, 
206 

Japanese  craftsmanship,  277  3 
drawings  of  fish,  1385  wax, 
257 

Jeypore  enamels,  201 
Joint  for  bracelet,  1615  for 
brooch,  134 
Joint  tool,  34,  227 
Justifier,  220 

Key  pegs  for  pearls,  156 
Knop,  73,  75,  190;  carved, 
190 

Knot  rings,  104 

Lapidary  work,  240 
Lapidary’s  slitter,  242 
Lathe  head,  engraver’s,  243 
Lead,  dipping  tube  for  hydroflu- 
oric acid,  203  5 mold  for 
spoons,  8 6 ; trough  for  hydro- 

344 


fluoric  acid,  203  ; use  of,  in 
stamped  work,  181 
Leaf  settings  for  pearls,  1 1 7 
Leaves,  how  to  make,  106 
Lemel,  gold,  168 
Lifting  needles,  248 
Limoges  enamel,  how  to  pre- 
pare, 213 

Links,  woven  for  necklaces, 
1 18 

Loam,  use  of,  in  casting,  197 
Locket  or  pendant  casket,  how 
to  make,  183 

Loops  for  nightingale  pendant, 
129 

Lost  (or  waste)  wax  casting, 
256,  268 

Mandrel,  ioo;  for  tube-draw- 
ing, 224  5 for  chain-making, 
Ir5 

Materials,  29 

Matrices,  engraved,  for  gold 
work,  1815  brass,  use  of,  in 
Greek  work,  182;  zinc,  for 
gold  work,  180 
Matting  tools,  34,  51 
Mercury  gilding,  how  done,  237 
Metal-carving  tools,  187 
Metal  outline,  use  and  value  of, 
in  enamel,  201 
Modeling  wax,  256 
Moonstone  brooch,  1 3 1 5 set- 
ting, 135 

Moldings  for  gold  hair-pin,  1 74  ; 

how  to  draw,  228 
Molds,  244;  bathbrick,  199; 
slate,  1 99  ; for  small  work  in 
British  Museum,  199  ; gela- 
tine, 261  ; steatite,  199 

Necklace,  112;  silver,  122; 
gold,  *177;  rose  panels  for, 


Index 


123  5 arrangement  of  stones 
in,  1135  catch  for,  1 20 ; 
chain  for,  1135  links  for, 
1 1 8 ; pearl  and  filigree,  1175 
polishing,  122 
Needles,  lifting,  248 
Network  enamels,  215  j set- 
tings for,  219  5 with  or  with- 
out temporary  copper  backs, 
218 

Nightingale  pendant,  how  made, 
127 

Nitric  acid  pickle,  32 
Norwegian  crown,  288,  314 

Oil  lamp  for  soldering,  95 
Old  work  and  methods,  264 
Open  settings,  101 
Oriental  stones,  97 
Ornament,  use  of,  60 
Ornaments,  hollow,  how  to 
strengthen,  179 
Oxidization  of  silver,  artificial, 

*35 


Pitch,  for  repousse  work,  32 
Pitch-block,  35,  47 
Planishing,  55 

Plaster  of  Paris,  use  of,  in  sol- 
dering small  articles,  107 
Plaster  matrix  for  type-metal 
cast,  180 

Platinum,  use  of,  in  enameling, 
215 

Pliers,  34 

Plique  a jour  enamel,  215 
Polishing,  122,  233  5 materials 
for,  etc.,  231  $ preserving 
refuse  of,  234  5 a quick  meth- 
od of,  232 
Polishing  sticks,  231 
Potassium  sulfid,  use  of,  in 
darkening  silver,  235 
Precious  stones,  drilling,  243  j 
polishing,  243  ; shaping,  240; 
slitting,  242 
Prongs  for  combs,  150 

Quicksilver,  gilding,  237 


Paillons,  1 00 

Panels  in  raised  gold  for  enam- 
eling, 221 
Paved  settings,  102 
Pea  flour,  use  of,  in  casting, 
196,  198 

Pearls,  how  to  drill,  1555  key 
pegs  for,  156 

Pendant,  fitting  the  enamel  into, 
141  ; for  silver  necklace, 
126  ; balls  to  hair-pin,  148  ; 
casket,  1835  loop  for,  143  ; 
back  for,  139;  stones  for, 
138  5 design  for,  138;  for 
gold  necklace,  1775  use  of 
enamel  in,  139 
Piece-molding,  244 
Pins  for  brooch,  134 


Recipes,  practical,  327 
Repousse  tools,  33,  34 
Repousse  work,  44 
Ring  stick,  231 
Rings,  carved,  no  5 to  make, 
104 

Rotten-stone  for  polishing,  232 
Rouge  for  polishing,  231 
Runners  and  risers,  259 

Sand-bag,  35 
Sand  casting,  196,  244 
Saw,  circular,  for  stone-cutting, 
242 

Scorper,  34  ; how  to  use,  210  5 
various  patterns  of,  2 1 1 
Sea-gulls,  use  of,  in  design  of 
pendant,  143, 


345 


Index  Seal  engraver’s  lathe,  243 

Settings,  975  for  network  en- 
amels, 219  ; for  cloisonne 
enamel,  2075  paved,  102; 
for  pearls,  108,  154  5 

wreathed,  191 
Shears,  35 

Ship  as  a subject  for  a pendant, 
139 

Skeleton  sphere  for  hair-pin, 

I47. 

Skin,  jeweler’s,  36  5 goldbeat- 
er’s, 193 

Silver  foil,  use  of,  in  Limoges 
enamel,  214;  solder,  87 
Silverwork,  to  darken  or  oxi- 
dize, 235  ; to  polish,  231 
Slate  molds,  for  castings,  199  ; 

slips  for  polishing,  232 
Slide  pliers,  34 

Slitting  stones  with  a bow  saw, 
242 

Snap  for  bracelet,  163  ; for 
flexible  bracelet,  166  j for 
necklace,  120 
Snarling-irons,  34,  59 
Solder  for  enameling,  89,  212 
Soldering,  87,  92,  171 
Spanish  brass,  269 
Spirit  lamp  for  soldering,  94 
Spoons,  79 

Stag  as  subject  for  brooch,  1 3 1 
Stakes  for  hammer  work,  33, 
54,  56 

Stamps,  iron,  269 
Steatite  molds,  199 


Sulfid  of  ammonium  for  oxidi- 
zing, 76,  235 

Sulfid  of  potassium  for  oxidi- 
zing, 235 
Sulfuric  pickle,  32 
Swage  block  for  moldings,  229 
Sweep,  39 

Swivel  loop  for  pendant,  186 

Table  filigree  ring,  107 
Theophilus,  265,  268 
Tools,  33,  45,  48 
Translucent  enamels,  201,  213 
Tube-drawing,  42,  224 
Type-metal  molds  for  gold 
work,  180 

Venetian  chain  for  necklaces, 

A1 3 

Villingen  processional  cross,  305 

Washing  enamel,  206 
Waste,  in  polishing,  234 
Waste- wax  process,  256,  268 
Water  of  Ayr  stone,  use  of,  for 
polishing,  232 
Wax  for  modeling,  256 
Wire-drawing,  39 
Wire,  compound  twist,  104, 
109,  133 
Work-bench,  36 
Wreathed  circlet  for  nightingale 
- pendant,  127 
Wreathed  settings  for  pearls, 
1175  how  to  carve,  1 9 1 

Zinc  molds,  31}  for  gold  wprk, 
180 


(1) 

THE  END 


346 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


3 3125  00140  9081 


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